Ericsson signs TDMA contract worth 35 MUSD in Ukraine

Ericsson signs TDMA contract worth 35 MUSD in Ukraine Ericsson has signed a contract with Digital Cellular Communications (DCC) for the expansion of DCC's existing TDMA (IS-136) network in Ukraine. The contract, valued at USD 35 million (SEK 303 million), is the largest signed contract by Ericsson in Ukraine and it is the start of a larger expansion deal with DCC worth USD 135 million. This is the fifth expansion order from DCC placed with Ericsson and is in response to the rapid subscriber growth in DCC's mobile network. DCC will be able to continue their expansion and increase their capacity and coverage in Ukraine. The roll out will be completed during this year. The contract includes the latest Ericsson dual-mode (analog/digital) radio base station (RBS 884), the new MSC 300 switching center based on the AXE 10 hardware platform and services like PrePaid and Voice Mail. "DCC is one of the fastest growing operators in Ukraine and has a long term relationship with Ericsson," says Leif Edwall, President at Ericsson's local company in Ukraine. "With this expansion order, mobile services such as PrePaid will be added into the network which will help DCC to grow even further." 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 8 404 5654, +46 70 551 0369 E-mail: isabella.laihorinne-smedh@lme.ericsson.se Leif Edwall, President, Ericsson Ukraine Tel: +380 44 462 5220; E-mail: Leif.Edwall@ukr.ericsson.se Annika Eriksson, Vice President, Business Management North America, Asia-Pacific and EMEA, Ericsson Phone: +46 8 404 6507, +46 70 627 0036 E-mail: annika.k.eriksson@era.ericsson.se About Ukraine Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe with a population of 50 million. Despite the present economic situation in the region, Ukraine is investing in telecommunications infrastructure to support its future. About TDMA There are currently more than 115 million subscribers using TDMA/AMPS mobile networks - in over 100 countries worldwide. More than 36 million of these subscribers in 38 countries are already using TDMA digital services. Ericsson connects over 50% of all TDMA subscribers worldwide. EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution) is designed for migration from existing TDMA and GSM networks, enabling operators to offer multimedia and other IP-based services at 3G speeds in wide area networks globally. During 1999, EDGE was approved as an IMT-2000 standard for 3G by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/14/20000414BIT00250/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/04/14/20000414BIT00250/bit0002.pdf