Nortel Wins CDMA450 Contracts in Russia

Sky Link and Nortel has announced that, under three separate agreements, Nortel has been selected by Russian wireless operators CJSC UralWestcom (UWC), OJSC Apex (Apex) and CJSC Saratov System Cellular Communications (SSCC) as the supplier of wireless broadband network equipment. In the case of the UWC project only, the agreement for project implementation has been entered into with OJSC RTK-Leasing, a well-established Russian leasing company that will be leasing the network to UWC.

The agreements will extend advanced wireless services to the estimated 12 million people in the Ural and Volga regions of Russia.

UWC and Apex are subsidiaries of the holding company, Russian Telecommunications Development Corporation (RTDC). SSCC is jointly owned by RTDC and ZAO Sky Link (Sky Link). Sky Link is a joint venture of RTDC and AFK Sistema.

Construction of the networks is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2005 and to position UWC, Apex and SSCC to streamline networking functions, enabling reduced operating costs and increased network capacity for voice calls and data traffic. The operators will be able to offer advanced data services -- such as Internet access, e-mail, Virtual Private Networking (VPN), multimedia messaging and personal messaging -- aimed at generating new revenue streams.

Nortel will deploy a complete CDMA2000 1X solution, including core and radio access networks in the 450 MHz band and referred to as CDMA450, in Yekaterinburg and the cities of Sverlovskaya oblast, Chelyabinsk and Saratov. Deployments have already begun in Yekaterinburg, and are planned to cover Sverdlovskaya oblast, Chelyabinsk and Saratov by the beginning of 2005. Commencement of the SSCC project is subject to completion by SSCC of certain documentary formalities."

Posted to the site on 2nd December 2004