Vodafone chooses Nokia as its 3G network supplier in Australia and New Zealand

Under the agreement, Nokia will provide complete 3G core and radio networks, as well as offer full managed services for network operations. The agreement also allows an option for Vodafone to replace key network elements of Vodafone Australias existing GSM and GPRS core network with Nokia switching equipment. With this agreement, Vodafone customers can look forward to enjoying the latest mobile services at the high speeds that 3G makes possible. 3G efficiently delivers the speed and capacity to support the upcoming rich multimedia services, bringing superior performance to mobile content consumers. Deliveries begin soon, with the launch of 3G services expected to take place in mid-2005. In addition to the supply and deployment of network equipment, Nokia will provide network planning and optimization, implementation, and other services for fast ramp-up of the solution. Under the contract, Nokia is also offering 3G network management and maintenance services in an arrangement known as managed services, including network monitoring, maintenance, and management. Furthermore, Nokia NetAct(TM) functionalities for network and service management are included to improve operational efficiency. Nokia has been the sole GSM network vendor for Vodafone New Zealand, while Vodafone Australia is a new network customer for Nokia.