Partner enhances 3G with HSDPA from Nortel

March 28, 2006

Nortel has deployed a high-speed mobile network for Partner Communications in Israel based on HSDPA technology. Commercial services will provide mobile connectivity at download speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps per second for business customers on the Orange mobile network operated by Partner.

Initially, Partner will be offering HSDPA services to business customers to provide an improved user experience for mobile broadband business applications such as faster connectivity to corporate networks, large file downloading, instant web access and efficient video streaming and multimedia services.

Nortel is a supplier of UMTS technology to Partner in Israel and the rapid addition of HSDPA services has been enabled by the quality and performance of its existing UMTS solution.

"HSDPA represents an evolution of UMTS technology," said Alon Berman, vice president technology, Partner. "Partner will be the first to launch HSDPA services in Israel and is among the first operators to launch HSDPA services anywhere in the world. The deployment of HSDPA with Nortel displays our commitment to deliver the best possible consumer experience."

"Nortel HSDPA technology allows Partner to add more 3G users while enabling DSL-like speeds for data transfer," said Sorin Lupu, president Israel and Eastern Europe region, Nortel. "Working with Nortel, UMTS operators can launch early and benefit from improved performance and network economics.