SMART makes the first GPRS data call in the Philippines with Nokia
HELSINKI, Finland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 7, 2000--Mobile operator SMART Communications has successfully tested its new Nokia supplied GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) network, which will bring high-speed packet data and mobile Internet capabilities to the SMART GSM network.
The first in the Philippines, the GPRS "data call" was completed earlier this month and SMART will rapidly roll-out nationwide GPRS coverage in the next few months. GPRS is a major stepping stone in the development towards 3rd generation mobile systems and mobile multimedia services.
The greatest advantage of GPRS for mobile subscribers lies in the possibility to have continuous connectivity to the Internet, the corporate Intranet or a WAP portal, for fast access to new content-rich services. The Mobile Internet based today on WAP and GPRS technology already enables new innovative service creation, in future, 3G will add more features and options for end users.
"Wherever our GSM service is available, we will also offer GPRS services," said Napoleon L. Nazareno, SMART president and CEO. "This puts SMART at the forefront of mobile Internet services in the country. In the Philippines, GSM users are among the world's heaviest text users - sending up to ten times as many text messages as voice calls. Based on the already high usage of data in the Philippines we are confident that GPRS technology will quickly become a must have for our subscribers."
"Nokia has completed several GPRS data calls with its customers around the world today and we are pleased to have been working with SMART in their success. We are at the forefront of development and implementation of GPRS infrastructure for mobile operators, as existing second Generation networks evolve to 3G," says Claus Karthe, Managing Director, Nokia Philippines.
Nokia has delivered and implemented more than 40 GPRS Core networks to leading operators in Europe, USA, Asia and China, more than any other supplier.
The Nokia GPRS solution includes the Internet Protocol (IP) based core network infrastructure, the Nokia Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), the Nokia Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), the Nokia Charging Gateway, the Lawful Intercept Gateway (LIG), the Domain NameServer, Router/Firewall and Ethernet switches, service charging and provisioning solution and applications.
Smart is the Philippines' largest mobile phone operator with more than 1.8 million subscribers, over a million of which are GSM users. Smart, along with sister company Pilipino Telephone Corporation, comprise the wireless businesses of telephone giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT).
Nokia is paving the way to the mobile information society with its innovative products and solutions. The company is the leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile, broadband and IP networks, related services as well as multimedia terminals. In 1999, Nokia's net sales totaled EUR 19.8 billion (USD 19.9 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on the New York (NOK), Helsinki, Stockholm, London, Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges and employs more than 56,000 people.
CONTACT:
Nokia Networks
Communications Department, + 358 9 5113 8193
nokia.networks@nokia.com
www.nokia.com
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