Nokia today announced at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, France that the Nokia 6650 phone has reached another significant milestone in the mobile communications evolution towards 3G mobile services and devices. Since October 2002, the world's first 3GPP compliant WCDMA/GSM dual mode phone has passed all regulatory WCDMA and GSM type approval tests. To date, Nokia has shipped about 10,000 Nokia 6650 phones globally to operators such as J-Phone/Vodafone, Orange, Sonera, T-Mobile and Vodafone, and infrastructure vendors including Ericsson, Nokia Networks, Nortel Networks and Siemens, for live network optimization and interoperability testing.
With the Nokia 6650, the WCDMA bandwidth support provides mobile professionals with data connectivity from the laptop at significantly greater speeds. With multiple data connectivity options and a speed of up to 384 kbps, the Nokia 6650 connects much faster than any traditional landline telephone data connection available for business professionals. Featuring a large colour display, integrated VGA camera with picture and video capture, as well as Multimedia Messaging (MMS) capabilities, the first commercial deliveries of the Nokia 6650 are estimated to start first half of 2003.
"With the significant number of Nokia 6650 in use with operators and infrastructure vendors globally, Nokia is confident that we are paving the path towards the technology transition to 3G. Nokia is working very closely with these industry players to ensure interoperability and a smooth transition, leading to a seamless experience for mobile users," said Anssi Vanjoki, Executive Vice President, Nokia Mobile Phones. "The Nokia 6650 with its robust functionality is key in this evolution."
Infrastructure vendors, including Ericsson, Nokia Networks, Nortel Networks and Siemens have successfully achieved 3G-2G IOT for intersystem voice hand-over with the Nokia 6650, demonstrating interoperability and the smooth evolutionary progress between 2G and 3G ecosystems. Reliable interoperability is important for ramping up any 3G service commercially, and industry players need to work together to achieve this common goal in today's complex wireless environment.
Valerio Zingarelli, Global IT & Technology Management Director of Vodafone, said: "As a leading mobile operator, Vodafone is pleased about the good progess we are making in the wireless interoperability testing with the Nokia 6650 and our networks. Reliable IOT will ensure the smooth roll-out of seamless multimedia services that will further enrich our customers' lives."
Offering a smooth evolution path from GSM to enriched mobile communications, WCDMA enables faster and more flexible use of mobile services thanks to increased bandwidth, higher data speeds and improved roaming possibilities. As mobile services, applications and usage evolve, WCDMA will make it possible to further enhance the features and applications of mobile phones to utilize even greater voice and data capacity.
Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and reliable solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed broadband and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges.
Further information:
Nokia Corporation
Nokia Mobile Phones
Communications
Tel: +358 7180 08000
E-mail: nokia.mobile.phones@nokia.com
www.nokia.com