Ericsson selected by NTT DoCoMo to deliver world's first commercial WCDMA

Ericsson selected by NTT DoCoMo to deliver world's first commercial WCDMA mobile phones and base stations Ericsson has been selected by NTT DoCoMo, the world's largest cellular operator, to deliver both WCDMA mobile phones and base station systems. This represents an early breakthrough in third generation (3G) mobile communications. Ericsson is leading the development of 3G, which is one of the key elements for long-term growth. The agreement to deliver WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) mobile phones is Ericsson's first and the phones will be developed in Sweden and Japan. The WCDMA mobile phones used in the third generation mobile systems will have multimedia capabilities, allowing wireless Internet access, as well as sending and receiving voice, data, still and moving images. The third generation mobile systems can be viewed as the first generation truly mobile Internet. "Ericsson is a driving force in technology standardization, being a leading part of industry initiatives like Bluetooth, EPOC, WAP and 3GPP. These technologies and 3G project, together with the fact that we are far ahead in developing phones and terminals for WCDMA, put us in a unique and strong position," says Jan Ahrenbring, Vice President Marketing and Communications, Ericsson Mobile Communications. Furthermore, Ericsson has been selected to deliver WCDMA base station systems to NTT DoCoMo, which is part of the first agreement to deliver WCDMA infrastructure for commercial use. For a user, these new base station systems enables wireless IP and other multimedia applications, efficiently combining a range of simultaneous datacom and telecom services at different speeds. "NTT DoCoMo's selection of Ericsson as a supplier for 3G equipment confirms our leading position in building the first generation truly mobile Internet," says Mats Köhlmark, Vice President, Ericsson Radio Systems, and head of Ericsson's business unit WCDMA Systems. "We are very pleased to be selected to deliver our WCDMA infrastructure. The details of this mobile network technology are in line with Ericsson's pioneering proposal and the needs of the global operators." Japan will be leading the way for WCDMA market deployment and continues to be one of Ericsson's most significant markets. WCDMA will create a global market both for systems and consumer products. NTT DoCoMo is a driving force behind the development of the third generation mobile systems. NTT DoCoMo plans to offer public 3G service in Japan by 2001. Ericsson is today leading the 3G development and has set up WCDMA experimental systems in Japan, Germany, Italy, UK, Sweden and China. These full-fledged 3G systems are used to experiment with delivery of new services, leveraging Ericsson's more than 10 years of research in 3G technologies. Ericsson is also leading with experimental systems for multiple technologies, like the first systems focusing on EDGE. Image of conceptual Ericsson WCDMA phones can be viewed at: http://webgrp01.ericsson.se/pressroom/phli_p.shtml Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over. Please visit Ericsson's Press Room at: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Jan Ahrenbring, Marketing and Communications Director Ericsson Mobile Communications AB Phone: + 46 8 764 1460, +46 70 590 9900 Eric Österberg, Communications Director Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 70 590 0599; E-mail: eric.osterberg@lme.ericsson.se Morgan Bengtsson, President, Nippon Ericsson K.K. Phone: + 81 3 3221 8201, + 81 3 3221 8200