Europe
: French operator SFR has launched its High Speed Data Packet Access
(HSDPA) network in Paris and Southern France. Nokia's HSDPA solution
allows SFR to operate its network more cost-efficiently and offer
its customers data services at speeds of up to four times faster than
current 3G speeds.
"We are committed to introducing broadband mobile data services
to our customers. They will benefit from download data speeds up to
4 times faster than current speeds available, offering for the first
time a mobile experience similar to current standard DSL rates. Streaming
video is a superb example of the benefits that HSDPA will bring to
consumers. Already last year we demonstrated HSDPA services such as
high speed streaming video, music download and business applications
together with Nokia, and now the service is available to our customers,"
says Paul Corbel, Chief Technical Officer, SFR. "We are very
satisfied with Nokia's HSDPA solution and their support in enabling
us to launch our HSDPA service in Paris and Southern France".
"The Nokia HSDPA solution enables SFR to leverage their new mobile
data opportunities and deliver exciting high-speed services to their
customers, says Olivier de Percin, Account Director, Networks, Nokia.
"HSDPA users can clearly see how much faster the mobile data
services, such as streaming video, are and how good the quality really
is. Together with the new HSDPA Nseries devices, this HSDPA solution
will bring to the mobile internet what PCs and broadband brought to
the fixed internet and will widely enhance the consumer's experiences
in multimedia."
Nokia has delivered the HSDPA solution to SFR as part of a radio network
contract extended in May 2006. Nokia uses it's unique, multivendor
Nokia NetAct(TM) network to ensure the quality of service for HSDPA
and has provided managed services, consulting and integration services
from its business solutions portfolio.
In WCDMA 3G, Nokia has 59 customers to date. Nokia's high-performing
HSDPA is a simple software upgrade to Nokia WCDMA networks, thus enabling
cost-effective and fast rollout. In the first phase, Nokia HSDPA offers
up to four times faster data services than current 3G, and consequently
enhanced quality of service experience. Nokia is a leader in the HSDPA
market, with over 20 contracts globally.
About SFR
With 17.3 million customers and 8,000 employees, SFR is the second
largest mobile telecommunications operator in France and has been
the market leader in terms of net sales (new customers) since 2003.
Operating its own GSM/GPRS and UMTS/HSDPA networks, SFR is able to
provide a complete range of mobile telephony and multimedia services,
as well as mobile data solutions to its personal, SOHO and business
customers. SFR has become the operator of choice for new uses of mobile
phones, having been the first operator to launch 3G and 3G+ services
on the French market, and now boasts 1.5 million exclusively 3G customers.
The company is also a player on the fixed telecommunications market
through its 34,9 % interest in neuf cegetel, the leading alternative
operator on the French market. SFR benefits from a stable ownership
structure, with two major shareholders, Vivendi (56%) and Vodafone
(44%).
