Nokia to supply Elca with a GSM network in Venezuela

Nokia will provide Elca with a GSM 900 network including Nokia Mobile Switching Centers (MSC), base stations systems and the Nokia NMS network management system.

An extensive range of services will also be supplied covering installation, implementation and maintenance. The deal also includes implementation, network planning and customer service. This will be the third GSM network operating in Venezuela and the second supplied by Nokia.

This network will initially provide rural coverage in the Eastern region of Venezuela, which is the third rural concession of the country and is expected to expand in this region as well as in neighboring areas, including Margarita Island during 2000.

"We foresee a great growth in the Venezuelan cellular market. This trend is true also for the rural areas of the country", said Francisco Galué, President of Elca. "We chose Nokia thanks to its impressive track record in GSM and are ready to start building the network and to deliver the high quality services consumers demand during the second quarter of this year."

"This agreement with Elca is significant for Nokia" said Michael Keltai, President of Nokia de Venezuela, "Nokia is committed to the Venezuelan market and with this contract we are strengthening our position as a GSM network provider in the country. "

Elca is a Venezuelan operator currently offering public rural telephone services through satellite connections in the Eastern parts of Venezuela.

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 55 000 people.