Airtel, Nortel Networks Complete First 3G UMTS Voice, Data Test Calls

date: 19th February 2001, source by: Business Wire

Airtel Movil SA and Nortel Networks have completed the first UMTS voice and data test calls in Spain, further demonstrating Nortel Networks leadership position in building the high-performance Wireless Internet. The first calls were made on Airtel premises under laboratory conditions using prototype terminal equipment.

Airtel has already deployed Nortel Networks UMTS radio base station equipment in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville. Commercial service launch is scheduled for August in 23 cities, reaching at least 25 percent of Spain's population. Nortel Networks is enabling time-to-market advantage that is positioning Spain to be the first major country in Europe to offer UMTS-based national Wireless Internet services. Airtel selected Nortel Networks last September as primary supplier for the initial phase of its UMTS network build out. Nortel Networks has received UMTS awards estimated to be worth more than US$2.1 billion in the last nine months, including BT Cellnet and One 2 One in the United Kingdom; T-Mobile in Germany; max.mobile in Austria; Airtel and Xfera in Spain; and AT&T Wireless in the United States.

"We are very pleased to have completed this landmark achievement on time," said Ignacio S. Galan, chief executive officer, Airtel. "UMTS as a new technology requires an entirely new set of competencies."

"Nortel Networks is breaking new ground in providing our customers with the ability to implement 3G wireless networks," said Pascal Debon, president, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), Nortel Networks. "Airtel intends to be the first operator globally to implement a live 3G network, and we are enjoying the opportunity to work with them to make this happen."

The first phase of Airtel's UMTS network features a fully integrated, end-to-end Wireless Internet solution, including Nortel Networks e-mobility Internet base transceiver stations for wide area radio coverage; packet-based core networks featuring Nortel Networks Passport Extranet switches; Nortel Networks Preside network management; Nortel Networks Shasta services management; and network implementation services. Nortel Networks solutions for building the high-performance Wireless Internet are driven by its 'Wings of Light' strategy, which combines optical, wireless and IP capabilities to help operators provide highly-reliable, high-speed access to broadband Internet services virtually 'anytime, anywhere.'

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