Nokia Gets $450M Italy Contract
Thursday April 5 10:34 AM ET
Nokia , the world's biggest cell phone maker,
will provide third-generation network equipment to Italy's Wind phone and Internet
access company under a contract worth $450 million.
The two companies provisionally agreed on developing the system in
October, and Nokia announced the contract signing on Thursday.
Deployment of the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, also
known as 3G, will begin immediately, Nokia said.
With transmission speeds nearly 40 times the existing standard,the new system is
expected to allow handsets to be used more like computers, with access to the Internet, video and e-mails.
Earlier this week, Nokia announced similar network deals in Australia, Britain, France and Germany,
which combined were more than $2 billion.
Wind is the first company in Italy to provide integrated fixed, mobile and Internet services and has
more than 9 million users.
Finland-based Nokia is providing 3G systems to 21 mobile phone operators in Asia, Europe and the
United States and has supplied digital equipment to 105 operators in 48 countries. |
