Ericsson and Orange have signed a contract for the delivery of a GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) system, including the IP-based core network infrastructure and new terminal devices. The contract is valued at USD 58 million (SEK 505 million). The contract represents the first time Ericsson is supplying Orange with infrastructure equipment in the UK. The new packet-based network is planned to go into service at the end of this year.
Ericsson's GPRS system will enable Orange to offer its customers mobile Internet and other IP-based applications at speeds ten times as fast as current mobile networks that are optimized for voice applications. Ericsson's GPRS system is an open standard solution, enabling multi- operator and vendor interoperability.
GPRS will enable a broad spectrum of communications and information functionalities. It is an ideal bearer for WAP as it is dedicated to and especially designed for data communications. GPRS is ideal for carrying Internet data, for example, e-mail and a host of news, information and entertainment services designed for GPRS-enabled mobile handsets.
"This very significant order adds Orange to a growing list of network operators from around the world to whom we are providing the advanced digital networks that are moving the world towards a third generation (3G) communications environment," said Bo BergstrÖm, Executive Vice President of Ericsson Radio Systems. "3G will give users a completely new lifestyle, providing opportunities for many exciting new business and leisure services not previously possible."
"With the advent of next generation technologies we will see the arrival of a dazzling array of high-speed, multimedia data services," said Bob Fuller, COO of Orange. "With GPRS, our customers will be offered packet- based services in combination with the high-speed circuit based services that are already available. It will further extend the way we communicate and access information." Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over.
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