Nokia and IDEA Cellular Limited (IDEA) have signed a USD24 million agreement for the supply of Nokia GSM/GPRS network equipment and multimedia services nationwide in India. With this deal, Nokia becomes the sole supplier of IDEA's GPRS network.
Deliveries have begun and the project is scheduled for completion before the end of 2004.
"We appreciate Nokia's deep understanding of the business and its approach in providing flexible solutions. Nokia's global leadership in GSM/GPRS and its proven technology roadmaps put IDEA at the forefront of providing high quality and innovative mobile services to our customers," says Mr. Vikram Mehmi, CEO, IDEA Cellular Limited
IDEA now operates in the 11 circles across India. Nokia will expand IDEA's GSM network for the Delhi and Andhra Pradesh circles, while extending the present GPRS core of Delhi to four circles - Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Nokia has been working with IDEA since 1996, providing turnkey services for the operator's GSM infrastructure over this period.
"We are happy that IDEA has selected Nokia as the sole supplier of their GPRS network. Through this agreement, IDEA's data network capability will be enhanced to handle the expected growth in data services whilst ensuring a smooth and efficient GSM evolution path," says Mr. Ashish Chowdhary, Country Head, India & South Asia, Nokia Networks, Asia Pacific.
"Together with Nokia, IDEA is well-positioned to provide high-quality mobile services to its fast expanding customer base as the Indian mobile industry grows at unprecedented rates," adds Mr. Chowdhary.
Under the GSM/GPRS expansion deal, Nokia will supply the complete range of Nokia GSM/GPRS equipment such as Base Station Subsystems, Switching SubSystems, GPRS Core Network, Short Message Service System, Multimedia Messaging center expansion and Nokia download solution. They will also provide the Nokia Connect Site base station, which is part of the Nokia Connect GSM solution for new growth markets. Nokia is also providing an extensive set of services including IP planning support, network element installation & commissioning well as maintenance services.
About IDEA Cellular
IDEA is a leading cellular operator in the country, with a subscriber base of over 3.3 million across the country. With the acquisition of Escotel, IDEA Cellular has enhanced its footprint to cover around 60% of India's population and over 65% of the potential telecom-market. IDEA now has presence in 11 circles across the country. A few days back IDEA-Maharashtra became the first ever circle in the country to hit One Million subscriber mark.
IDEA was the first and only company to bring the concept of Cellular Jockey and offer Music Messaging to all its subscribers. IDEA also launched Global SMS for the first time in the country, which allows the users to send and receive SMS from over 540 networks and 170 countries across the technology platforms like GSM, CDMA, TDMA and Satellite Phones.
IDEA Cellular Ltd. is a three-way-equal joint venture between Tata, Birla & AT&T, with its headquarters in Pune. Its recent financial closure with a project cost of Rs. 5,000 crore was the largest ever in the Indian telecom history. IDEA has the distinction of being the first company to demonstrate next generation EDGE technology (a 3G technology) for its Delhi circle recently
About Nokia
A market leader in the cellular industry in Asia Pacific, Nokia provides innovative, industry leading and market-relevant technology and products to around 20 diverse markets in the region.
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 secure 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.
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Notes to Editor
The Nokia Connect GSM Solution is an integrated solution that combines optimized network infrastructure, network management systems and operator services. Combined with Nokia entry-level terminals, the Nokia Connect GSM Solution allows operators to realize savings in CAPEX and OPEX and offer handsets and services tailored precisely for entry-level mobile phone customers.
Significant savings can be achieved through use of Nokia ConnectSite 10 and Nokia ConnectSite 100 base stations, which utilize a "shelter-less installation" concept. "Shelter-less" means that the base stations are located close to the antenna masts, avoiding costly on-ground installations.
The solution consists of reliable and robust network elements:
- Complete site solutions based on "shelter-less" Nokia ConnectSite 10 and Nokia ConnectSite 100 base stations, including auxiliaries, transmission and site services. Shelter-less means that the base stations are located close to the antenna masts, avoiding costly on-ground installations.
- Nokia Connect Base Station Controller for expandable capacities and enhanced functionality.
- The scalable Nokia GSM core network, including MSC, HLR and the INAP-based Nokia Connect Prepaid service.
- A centralized Nokia Connect Network Management System for reduced need for site visits.