Nortel wins 3G CDMA2000 infrastructure renewal with Sprint

December 7, 2004

Nortel announced a contract renewal agreement with Sprint estimated to be worth approximately US$1 billion over three years to deploy enhanced wireless infrastructure equipment and provide professional services to support the continued expansion of the Nortel portion of Sprint's nationwide 3G wireless network. The agreement also covers a potential broadband data upgrade to 1xEV-DO Release A or 1xEV-DV Release D technologies.

Under this new agreement, Nortel will provide CDMA2000 1X radio base stations, base station controllers, switching platforms and other related equipment across Sprint's existing Nortel footprint. Nortel will also supply Sprint with the new Nortel PDSN (Packet Data Service Node) 16000. Sprint plans to leverage this platform's industry-leading capacity and performance, combined with innovative features like advanced billing capabilities, to facilitate network capacity growth and expand its wireless packet data service offerings.

The agreement also calls for Nortel to provide CDMA2000 1xEV-DO equipment in several key markets across Sprint's nationwide network. Earlier this year, Sprint announced plans to design and deploy EV-DO, with initial service available in select markets in 2004 and general launch in the majority of top metropolitan markets in the United States in 2005.

"This renewal agreement further demonstrates the strength of our relationship with Sprint and our commitment to support delivery of advanced mobile voice and data services," said Richard Lowe, president, CDMA Wireless Networks, Nortel. "Nortel CDMA equipment is designed to support EV-DO through simple upgrades to existing hardware, which means Sprint's migration from 1X to EV-DO will require no 'forklift upgrades.' This approach provides a cost effective and rapid method for enhancing the end user experience by delivering advanced wireless services and applications."