Haiti : Haiti Telecommunications International S.A. (HaiTel), a wireless voice and Internet service provider in Haiti, is expanding and enhancing its wireless network with Nortel CDMA wireless infrastructure solutions. The expanded network is expected to significantly increase capacity and extend the operator's coverage area to reach new subscribers around the nation, as well as deliver high-speed data services that enhance the end-user experience.

HaiTel currently provides pre-paid, fixed-wireless and mobile services enabled by Nortel CDMA wireless solutions. These services are available to residential and business customers in Haiti's most populated coastal cities, as well as in the central part of the country where agriculture is the main source of income.

Haiti has one of the lowest tele-densities in the Western hemisphere. Availability of affordable wireless communications through HaiTel creates new opportunities for many residents to communicate with family members across Haiti or abroad. HaiTel services also enable farmers, entrepreneurs and small business owners to communicate with the market place and more effectively run their operations.

HaiTel is deploying base station controllers, switching platforms and other related core infrastructure products from Nortel to add capacity to its existing CDMA2000 network and upgrade to CDMA2000 1X, delivering what is expected to be Haiti's first 3G network.

The upgrades are expected to be completed by mid-2005 and will enable more than three times the network's current capacity, allowing the operator to easily accommodate new subscribers. HaiTel will also be able to roll out 3G mobile data services like high-speed Internet access, e-mails with attachments and image downloading, giving its subscribers access to essential business tools that can help them be even more successful.

In addition to this deployment, Nortel is also donating a number of computers to several public schools in HaiTel's coverage area. HaiTel will install the equipment and provide internet connectivity.

"Through all the recent turbulence in our country, HaiTel has kept its promise of bringing high-quality wireless services to the people of Haiti," said Franck N. Cine, director general of HaiTel. "With the help of Nortel's industry-leading technology, we will continue to keep that promise by expanding our network to reach new subscribers and bring our customers those sophisticated services that will help improve the way they live and work."

In some areas that can not sustain the costs of fixed wireline infrastructure, wireless technology is bringing telephone services to people for the first time. This can result in substantial economic development benefits.

"We are extremely proud to be working with HaiTel on this project, as it reinforces our commitment to help enhance the human experience as well as igniting and powering commerce around the world," said Martha Bejar, president of Nortel in the Caribbean and Latin America. "We will leverage our extensive CDMA expertise and experience in deploying advanced wireless networks in the Caribbean and around the world to help HaiTel deliver new, revenue-generating services with the flexibility and scalability to accommodate future growth."

Nortel has designed, deployed and launched more than 300 wireless networks in more than 70 countries around the world. Nortel was the first industry supplier to have wireless networks operating in all advanced radio technologies (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA2000 1X and EV-DO, UMTS and WLAN), and is the only end-to-end supplier of all new generation wireless solutions.

Nortel has been working with service providers and enterprises in the Caribbean for over 35 years, building advanced communication infrastructures. Nortel is deploying 3G wireless networks with several operators in the Caribbean and Latin American region, including Centennial (Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic); Telefonica (Peru); VIVO (Brazil); TSTT (Trinidad and Tobago); Smartcom (Chile) and Speednet (Belize).