Ericsson signs GSM expansion and feature enhancement contract with SingTel Mobile

Ericsson signs GSM expansion and feature enhancement contract with SingTel Mobile Ericsson and SingTel Mobile have signed a contract for the expansion and enhancement of the GSM network in Singapore, including Ericsson's seamless GSM 900/1800 dual band solution. In addition, Ericsson's WAP solution and network enhancement for GPRS capability ensure that SingTel Mobile subscribers will be among the first in Asia to experience mobile Internet services. The contract, valued at USD 80 million, includes the delivery of Ericsson's seamless dual band solution, GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) network capability, WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) solution, and IN (Intelligent Network) solution. Ericsson's proven seamless dual band technology will provide the necessary capacity to SingTel Mobile's GSM network to introduce high quality, value- added Mobile Internet services. "This expansion represents another milestone in the close co-operation between SingTel Mobile and Ericsson in finding the best solutions for network expansion in the challenging urban environment of Singapore," said Derek Neo, Director of Marketing and Sales, Ericsson Singapore. "SingTel Mobile has always been proactive in adopting the most effective capacity boosting solutions, such as micro cells, multiple reuse pattern, inbuilding solutions, and now seamless dual band capability, to ensure that our GSM network quality is among the best in the world facing similar geographic challenges," says Tay Soo Meng, Senior Director, SingTel Mobile Networks Division. With WAP and GPRS, SingTel Mobile is taking the first steps towards mobile Internet and 3G service offerings. Mobile Internet services enabled by WAP are now being commercially introduced. Mobile Internet will not only make the current Internet available from mobile terminals, but also create a whole new set of location-based services that will be available anywhere, anytime. Ericsson's GPRS network capability will enable SingTel Mobile to offer its customers mobile Internet and other IP-based applications at speeds ten times as fast as current mobile networks that are optimized for voice applications. Ericsson's GPRS network capability is an open standard solution, enabling multi-operator and vendor interoperability. "GPRS will enable a broad spectrum of communications and information functionality. It is an ideal bearer for WAP and is dedicated to and especially designed for data communications. GPRS is ideal for carrying Internet data, for example, e-mail and a host of news, information and entertainment services designed for GPRS-enabled mobile handsets," said Alan Ho, Vice President, Ericsson Singapore. "By equipping our GSM network with IN and Mobile Internet technologies, SingTel Mobile's subscribers can look forward to a host of innovative services tailored to their specific needs and lifestyle," said Lucas Chow, CEO of SingTel Mobile. "The industry has forecast a massive adoption of mobile Internet services in 2001 as GPRS-enabled mobile handsets become widely available. SingTel Mobile is definitely ready for this exciting trend." Ericsson is the leading communications supplier, combining innovation in mobility and Internet in creating the new era of mobile Internet. Ericsson provides total solutions covering everything from systems and applications to mobile phones and other communications tools. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for customers all over the world. Read more at: http://www.ericsson.com/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT James Borup, Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 8 757 5612; E-mail: james.borup@lme.ericsson.se Derek Neo, Director of Marketing and Sales, Ericsson Singapore Phone: +65 350 1502; E-mail: derek.neo@eno.ericsson.se Chia Boon Chong, Corporate Communications Manager, SingTel Mobile Pte Ltd Phone: +65 838 2022; E-mail: boonchong@singtel.com Company Information SingTel Mobile, a wholly owned subsidiary of SingTel, is the leading mobile communications service provider in Singapore. It has more than one million customers using post-paid and prepaid services on its GSM 900 and GSM 1800 networks. To date, SingTel Mobile has invested about one billion Singapore Dollars in its networks. Currently, customers are supported by over 1,700 base stations islandwide. SingTel Mobile was one of the world's first operators to offer dual band GSM 900 / 1800 service. Besides enjoying extensive local coverage both indoors and outdoors, SingTel Mobile customers can also roam to more than 110 destinations worldwide.