Europe : Alcatel announce the inauguration of its latest born 3G Reality Centre (3GRC) in Moscow, Russia.

The Moscow's 3G Reality Centre, powered by Alcatel's industry-leading Evolium? global mobile solution, is using a fully open multi-standard infrastructure compatible with all technologies. It will nurture local apprenticeship and research for innovative 2.5G and 3G end-to-end mobile multimedia solutions in Russia and other CIS countries.

This unique facility is part of the Alcatel's worldwide 3GRC program which offers to operators, content and service providers as well as terminals manufacturers a live business environment for service innovation, dedicated to the development, validation, testing and demonstration of exciting next generation mobile applications and services.

The Moscow's 3GRC will present a large variety of broadband user-centric audio, video, and messaging services:
· A broad range of mobile video solutions, spread over two segments: video content delivery (video streaming, video downloading), and video communication (video messaging, video telephony, video conferencing, video mailbox).

· Personalized Ring Back Tone (PRBT) is a new music service available for Russia and other CIS countries. Personalized Ring Back Tone subscriber will be able to personalize the usual mechanical ring back tone heard until
the call is connected, by selected music tracks, sound effects or personal messages.

· Furthermore, forecasting the future of multimedia mobile services in Russia and other CIS countries, Moscow's 3GRC will also be able to showcase services such as video calls, video streaming, high-speed Internet access and videoconference that require higher transmission speeds.

"The growth in mobile communication market in the coming years will depend on the development of multimedia services that can bring value to all the relevant players in the new value chain," stated Johan Vanderplaetse, vice-president of Alcatel in the CIS countries. "The 3G Reality Centre in Moscow will open new opportunities for introduction of mobile multimedia services in the fast developing Russian and CIS mobile market. The opening of this centre paves the way for the development of 3G mobile services in Russia and is totally in line with Alcatel's world-wide user-centric broadband vision."

* The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) includes: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.