Ericsson signs new 3G contract with Finish operator

Ericsson signs new 3G contract with Finnish operator Ericsson has been chosen by the Finnish operator Ålands Mobiltelefon Ab as the sole supplier of a 3G system. Ericsson will supply a fully integrated solution for the 3G system and a GSM system, including Ericsson's GPRS system. The contract underscores the competitiveness and strength of Ericsson's transition strategy for operators, providing a seamless evolution from GSM with GPRS to 3G for voice and mobile Internet. The contract includes a mobile network solution integrating GSM and 3G. Ericsson will take a turn-key role in all systems integration of the network that will cover the island Åland with its 26 000 inhabitants. "Ericsson is the market leader and is able to offer seamless and total systems solution for our needs. This is the beginning of a co-operation, with the goal to bring new and unique services to all of Åland," says Stefan Olofsson President, Ålands Mobiltelefon Ab. Based on WCDMA technology, Ericsson's 3G system to be supplied can also be referred to as UMTS, a European denomination for 3G. UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. Finland was the first country in the world to issue 3G licenses, in March 1999. "The cooperation between Åland Mobiltelefon Ab and Ericsson is based on the shared view that the demand of mobile Internet services will be extremely high in the near future," says Veli-Matti Mattila, President of Ericsson Finland. Åland Mobiltelfon Ab is the fourth operator to select Ericsson's 3G WCDMA system. Ericsson recently announced its win of the first ever agreement for a commercial, end-to-end 3G system, when Finnish 2 G Ltd. selected Ericsson as the main supplier of a nationwide mobile network integrating GSM and 3G. 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 Isabella Laihorinne Smedh, Ericsson Corporate Communications, Phone: +46 70 551 0369, +46 8 4045654 E-mail; Isabella.Laihorinne-Smedh@lme.ericsson.se Veli-Matti Mattila, President, Oy LM Ericsson AB Phone: +358 9 299 2500; E-mail: veli-matti.mattila@ericsson.fi Stefan Olofsson, President, Ålands Mobiltelefon Ab Phone: +358 18 41 053; E-mail: stefan.olofsson@altel.aland.fi Mikael Halen, Director, Product Marketing, Wideband Radio Networks, Ericsson, Business Unit WCDMA Systems Phone: +46 8 585 34 296, E-mail: mikael.halen@era.ericsson.se Ericsson's end-to-end 3G solutions Ericsson is leading the development of 3G mobile communications and the transition to 3G systems. Ericsson offers a smooth transition path from all 2G systems to 3G systems based on WCDMA, cdma2000 and EDGE. Ericsson is the only supplier with a full range of both second and third generation systems. The company offers a 3G portfolio with end-to-end solutions, including terminals, applications and infrastructure. Ericsson has already announced 3G pilot systems on three continents, leveraging the company's more than 10 years of research in 3G technologies. The company has set up more than ten 3G pilot systems in Canada, China, Japan, Germany, Italy, UK, U.S., Spain and Sweden. WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) is one of the third generation radio interface technologies that is optimized for wideband radio access to support high-speed multimedia services such as video conferencing and Internet, as well as voice calls. WCDMA allows the wireless bandwidth to be tailored efficiently to the needs of each individual call, whether it is voice, data or multimedia. It can handle both packet and circuit switched services. Multiple calls of different types can be simultaneously made.