Europe : Croatia's leading mobile provider, T-Mobile Croatia, a subsidiary of T-Mobile International, has contracted with Siemens Communications to serve as the sole supplier in building its Third Generation (3G) network.

Inset is Christoph Caselitz, President of the Siemens Mobile Networks Division quoted below.

The telecommunications group at Siemens will upgrade the operator's existing GSM network with 3G mobile radio and switching technology by year-end. This fourth 3G contract in the Central and Eastern European region will enable Siemens to further broaden its position as the world's leading vendor of 3G mobile network technology.

The contract from T-Mobile Croatia calls for supplying 3G base stations (NodeBs) operating under the W-CDMA mobile communication standard, as well as the components required for upgrading the provider's circuit-switched and packet-oriented core network from GSM to 3G. Moreover, the contract also includes the integration of a network management system as well as maintenance and other services.

"We have chosen Siemens as our 3G technology partner in the first place because of its international experience and strong presence in Croatia. With the implementation of the 3G/UMTS we'll be able to provide our customers higher speed of data transfer and higher quality of services," said Wolfgang Breuer, President of the Management Board of T-Mobile Croatia.

In the first phase, T-Mobile Croatia plans to provide UMTS services in urban areas, and meeting the prescribed regulation criteria and depending on market demands, the operator will build out the network all over the country.

"This fourth contract for Siemens Communications in Central and Eastern Europe shows that the demand for 3G services is gaining in significance in this region, as well. We are pleased that T-Mobile is now also opting for us as a 3G network equipment supplier in Croatia," said Christoph Caselitz, President of Mobile Networks at Siemens Communications.

This contract will enable Siemens to further broaden its position as the world's leading vendor of Third Generation mobile network technology. 90 percent of all 3G mobile communication customers worldwide are already using W-CDMA-based technology from Siemens and NEC.