TeliaSonera has joined the Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance

TeliaSonera has joined the global significance of Fixed-Mobile Convergence Alliance (FMCA). Since its formation in July 2004, the FMCA has played an increasingly prominent role in shaping the Convergence agenda around the world. About 500 million customers stand to benefit from the development of Convergence services.

”24 telecom operators have now joined the FMCA - fixed mobile convergence alliance. Fixed-Mobile Convergence is a transition point in the telecoms industry that will finally remove the distinction between fixed and mobile network, providing a superior experience to customers by creating seamless services using a combination of fixed broadband and local access wireless technologies to meet their needs in homes, offices, other buildings and on-the-go, TeliaSonera, as the leading Nordic fixed and mobile operator is taking an active part in this important work of influencing”, says Claes Bidemar, vice President TeliaSonera, Marketing, Products & Services. ”One of the FMCA´s key objectives will be to present a common message to the telecommunications equipment vendor community regarding the development of standards-based terminal and infrastructure equipment. The aim of convergence is to offer customers access to the best user experience, on their choice of device, via the best network available for a given service. By working together, members of the FMCA will gain faster access to leadership positions in this new market”, Claes Bidemar continues. The FMCA has played a critical part in establishing support amongst handset vendors for emerging Convergence technologies, as well as encouraging consistency across product and equipment standards. Over the past ten months, it has been successful in securing vendor commitment to launch a range of Bluetooth UMA, Wi-Fi UMA and Wi-Fi SIP enabled handsets. The FMCA is forecasting that more than 15 Wi-Fi enabled mid-price Convergence handsets will be commercially available from major handset vendors by mid-2006. The FMCA will deliver the product requirements for the key Convergence technologies by mid to late 2005. By producing the Bluetooth CTP, UMA and Wi-Fi SIP product requirements by August 2005, they aim to reduce the time it takes for Convergence products to hit the consumer and business markets across the world. Forward-Looking Statements Statements made in the press release relating to future status or circumstances, including future performance and other trend projections are forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to many factors, many of which are outside the control of TeliaSonera.