Europe
: Nokia has won a contract to expand Wataniya Telecom's High Speed
Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) radio and core network in Kuwait, increasing
its capacity and extending the HSDPA network coverage to new areas.
In addition to the 3.6 Mbps HSDPA radio network, Nokia will provide
Wataniya Telecom with a core network upgrade, including packet core
equipment and the Nokia MSC Server mobile softswitch; and a range
of services, including network planning, consulting, systems integration,
implementation, pre-launch optimization, maintenance, and care services.
Deliveries have already begun.
"There is growing demand for mobile data services among our customers
in Kuwait, so in order to serve our customers better we decided to
expand our existing HSDPA network and extend the service to new areas.
Nokia's high-quality solutions and unfailing support make the company
a trusted supplier," said Harri Koponen, General Manager &
CEO, Wataniya Telecom.
"Nokia's simple HSDPA software upgrade enables Wataniya to offer
their customers mobile broadband services cost-efficiently. We are
committed to supporting Wataniya in introducing new services in Kuwait
and providing them with Nokia's end-to-end expertise ranging from
network equipment and services to devices," said Walid Moneimne,
Senior Vice President, Networks, Nokia.
Previously, Nokia has supplied Wataniya Telecom's core network, upgraded
its GSM radio network with EDGE, and supplied the WCDMA 3G/HSDPA radio
network in order to run advanced services such as video calling, video
sharing, and push to talk.
High performance Nokia HSPA is a simple software upgrade to Nokia
WCDMA networks, thus enabling a fast, cost-effective rollout. Nokia
HSPA is made up of two key technologies, HSDPA (High Speed Downlink
Packet Access) and HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), enabling
true mobile broadband with breakthrough data speeds of up to 14.4
Mbps in the downlink and up to 5.8 Mbps in the uplink.
Nokia HSDPA offers almost 10-times faster data services than current
3G networks, generating an enhanced service experience. Nokia is a
leader in the HSDPA market, with a large number of HSDPA contracts.
Many network operators have already opened their HSDPA networks with
the Nokia solution.
Nokia is creating seamless user experiences in converging networks
thanks to mobile softswitching and IMS for fixed and mobile. With
over 115 customers for its mobile softswitching and over 50 live networks,
Nokia is clearly the most experienced mobile softswitching supplier
worldwide.
About Wataniya
Launched in December 1999, Wataniya Telecom has been a driving force
in increasing the mobile communications market penetration in Kuwait
to over 80 percent of the population. With operations in Kuwait, Iraq,
Tunisia and Algeria, Wataniya Telecom is actively expanding its presence
within the MENA (Middle East North Africa) region. Serving over 3
million customers in its operations, Wataniya Telecom has built its
success on a customer focused strategy based on the philosophy that
everything the company does must bring it closer to its customers.
The company provides a wide range of leading edge wireless voice and
data services delivered with high quality and designed to meet customer
requirements.
