Russia's VimpelCom and Alcatel are demonstrating new 3G/UMTS mobile applications and services live at the Svyaz-Expocomm trade fair. For the very first time in Russia, the visitors can take a look at the communications technology of tomorrow by watching live television, at any place, at any time on mobile handsets.
As well as this, video-telephony users are the first in Russia to see and hear each other in full mobility, whilst one can also watch what is happening "live" in various countries in Europe and in Asia. All these multimedia calls are made using full 3GPP-compliant mobile handsets communicating over Alcatel's Evolium 3G/UMTS Core and Radio solutions combined with appropriate Alcatel application platforms.
This Russian Premiere follows the mobile video-telephony international calls that Alcatel has conducted in Europe and in Asia for over a year, linking various 3G/UMTS pilot networks deployed by Alcatel in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, as well as in Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Taipei or Tokyo.
Under the terms of the contract signed with VimpelCom in 2001, Alcatel delivered and installed its complete Evolium solution including the UTRAN (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) radio systems, the network systems (CORE), as well as the associated Radio Network Controller (RNC) and multimedia equipment. The radio systems, which include the UMTS base stations (Node B), are developed and produced by Evolium SAS, the joint venture between Alcatel and Fujitsu.
"We have for a long time partnered with Alcatel building high-quality networks that meet the demands of the outstanding growth of our GSM/GPRS subscribers", declared Sergey Avdeev, Chief Technical Officer of VimpelCom. "Our experience from early UMTS projects will allow us to perform flexible upgrades for existing infrastructure which enables VimpelCom to offer seamless 2.5 G and 3G service depending on customer's needs."
Marc Rouanne, COO of Alcatel's Mobile Communications Group commented : "This cooperation between VimpelCom and Alcatel brings together expertise and competence from both companies, and demonstrates the reality of Alcatel's 3G/UMTS end-to-end solutions, thus opening new business perspectives in the mobile data market."
Posted to the site on 20th May 2003
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