GPTC in Libya awards over 120-million-dollar GSM/EDGE and WCDMA 3G deal to Nokia



Nokia will supply state-of-the-art core and radio networks to serve the majority of GPTC's customers.

-/13 September, 2004 - Wi-Fi Technology News/-Nokia has won a deal, valued at over 120 million USD, to supply GSM/EDGE and WCDMA 3G network equipment to the Libyan General Post and Telecommunications Company (GPTC) for a new nationwide mobile network. This is Nokia's first network deal in Libya. Deliveries begin immediately.

Under the agreement, Nokia will be the main supplier of the operator's new core network, including packet core, as well as supplier of half of the radio network. Nokia's radio network will serve Tripoli and the western half of the country, providing coverage to over 60% of the GPTC's subscriber base.

The majority of the radio network supplied by Nokia will be EDGE-capable, and Nokia will also provide WCDMA 3G capable base stations. In addition, Nokia will supply its GPRS solution and the Nokia MSC Server System, the new voice core solution for 2G and 3G. This is the first deployment of a 3GPP Release 4 architecture in Africa.

"We foresee great progress in the telecommunications landscape in Libya," says Eng. Mohamed Moammar Al Gathafi, Chairman, GPTC. "Widespread mobile phone service will bring undisputed benefits for our society, and we are doing our utmost to ensure the highest quality of service. The agreement with Nokia is a strong indication of our efforts in this arena."

"We are extremely pleased to be a part of GPTC's drive to bring quality mobile service to the people of Libya," says Dr. Walid Moneimne, Senior Vice President, EMEA, Networks, Nokia. "We are determined to work for the future success of its business, and this deal is proof of our commitment to this market."

"We are grateful for the trust that GPTC has placed in our strong solutions, implementation expertise, and customer support," adds Sam Olnen, Sales Director for EMEA, Networks, Nokia.

Nokia will also provide implementation and care services, including network planning, project management, spare part management for multivendor hardware, and training to maintain the competitiveness of GPTC's new network. The services will be provided using Nokia NetAct(TM), the only fully-featured, multi-vendor, multi-technology operations support system on a single platform.

Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia is dedicated to enhancing people's lives and productivity by providing easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, and solutions for imaging, games, media, mobile network operators and businesses. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on five major exchanges.

Source: Nokia http://www.nokia.com