Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) and Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group (Datang Group) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Beijing that further reinforces Alcatel’s commitment to support China’s home-grown 3G standard, TD-SCDMA. This MOU complements an initial agreement that was concluded between Datang Mobile and Alcatel Shanghai Bell in November 2004.

According to the MOU, Alcatel and Datang Group will work closely together to drive TD-SCDMA development. Specifically, the MOU reinforces the cooperation that currently exists between the two companies in the areas of sales, marketing, industrialization, research and development of TD-SCDMA products and technologies for the domestic China market. Alcatel will assist the Datang Group abroad and support this global effort by taking advantage of its worldwide presence in over 130 countries. Finally, the MOU includes joint development of LTE (Long Term Evolution) products and technologies.

The signature of this MOU is a demonstration of the confidence both companies place in the future of TD-SCDMA and of their intention to become leading providers of TD-SCDMA when 3G arrives in China and well-positioned to capture a number of market opportunities.

In November 2004, Alcatel and Datang Mobile, a subsidiary of Datang Group, signed an agreement to invest in the industrialization of TD-SCDMA in China. In April 2005, Alcatel Shanghai Bell and Datang jointly demonstrated a live end-to-end TD-SCDMA solution during the TD-SCDMA International Summit in Beijing. In August 2005, the two companies finished the TD-SCDMA industrialization and announced readiness for large-scale commercial deployment. In March 2006, Alcatel Shanghai Bell and Datang jointly established a TD-SCDMA lab to provide a real network environment dedicated to interoperability testing between GSM and TD-SCDMA applications.

Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) announced today the successful demonstration of Europe’s first broadcast of live TV channels on mobile handsets in S-band. The demonstration took place in Alcatel’s UK premises. It is using the new DVB-SH standard (Satellite services for Handhelds), which is currently being drafted by the DVB Project. To perform this demonstration, Alcatel was assisted by UK broadcasters Sky, ITV and BBC.

Representatives from European mobile operators, TV broadcasters, industry analyst firms and regulatory bodies attending this demonstration were able to enjoy high quality images displayed on SAGEM myMobileTV handsets. These terminals are using the S-band telecom frequency between 2.17GHz and 2.20GHz, which is adjacent to the 3G/UMTS band. 30MHz of spectrum is currently available all across Europe and in other major regions in the world.

DVB-SH is a new technology targeting the S-band. DVB-SH is a related standard to DVB-H. With DVB-SH technology, Mobile TV signals can be broadcast from satellites as well as from terrestrial transmitters directly to handhelds. DVB-SH handhelds can be designed in such a way that they become compatible with DVB-H so that both standards can be received in one end-user terminal.

In addition, Alcatel demonstrated two possible key technical features using the DVB-SH standard. Reception Antenna Diversity, a feature using two antennas inside the same mobile device, enables improvements in the signal quality under difficult conditions. Furthermore, improved Time Interleaving overcomes fading impairment in mobility conditions. The significant quality enhancement was demonstrated by implementing these DVB-SH features.

On the occasion of this demonstration, Professor Ulrich Reimers, Chairman of the Technical Module of DVB Project declared: “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to witness a live Mobile TV demonstration in the S-band even before the new Mobile TV standard has been finally designed. Within the DVB -Project, we have decided to give that standard a new name – DVB-SH – digital video broadcast from satellite for handhelds. DVB-SH is a perfect complement to other standards, such as DVB-H, which is typically using UHF frequencies but is capable of using the L-band. Thus DVB-SH may have a significant impact on the global Mobile TV industry.”

Olivier Coste, President of Alcatel’s mobile broadcast activities concluded: “Quality of Service is essential for operators to attract and retain Mobile TV users. Today, we demonstrated that high quality live Mobile TV using the S-band works. This can be up and running commercially very soon. With the additional benefits of universal indoor and countrywide coverage, the fundamentals of our solution are already solid enough to enable operators to profit from sustainable Mobile TV market growth thanks to the S-band.”

Slim and Sleek Unlocked Smartphone Available for $399 on Palm Web Store and Retail Locations

For individuals who want to stay connected with an all-in-one mobile phone that is affordable, simple and fun, Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) today announced the Palm(R) Treo(TM) 680 smartphone’s preorder availability from Palm’s website, www.palm.com/Treo680. The Palm online store and Palm U.S. retail stores will exclusively sell the unlocked GSM/GPRS/EDGE quad-band world phone in four new colors – crimson, copper, arctic and graphite – for $399. The Treo 680 smartphone, announced on Oct. 12 (http://investor.palm.com/pressdetail.cfm?ReleaseID=214409), can be preordered today and will be available at Palm U.S. retail stores after Dec. 1, just in time for the holidays.

“The unlocked Treo 680 smartphone will reach new customers and markets, exemplifying Palm’s dedication to expanding both geographically and demographically,” said John Hartnett, senior vice president, global markets, Palm, Inc. “The Treo 680 smartphone will attract new users in the smartphone and feature-phone markets through affordability, ease of use and style.”

The Palm OS(R) based Treo 680 smartphone has an internal antenna and slim form factor, making the device smaller and sleeker than its Treo predecessors in the United States. It’s also the first Treo smartphone to come in unique colors. But beyond the Treo 680′s new design, customers will find the Treo 680 smartphone easy to use and packed full of features beyond its stellar phone capability, such as email, web browsing, messaging, multimedia, calendar, contacts and more.

The Treo 680 and the Treo 700p smartphones are among the first mobile phones to support streaming Flash-based movies, including those found on YouTube, with the release of the new Kinoma Media Player 4EX.

For a limited time, the Treo 680 will come with a music bundle from Yahoo!, which includes a 30-day free trial to its Yahoo! Music Unlimited To Go service and Yahoo! Music For Mobile. Users have the ability to access the Yahoo! Music Unlimited music library from the phone and to send tracks remotely to a PC.

Palm customers also have a wide variety of accessories to choose from on the Palm website. Here are just a few that could be paired perfectly with a customer’s new Treo 680 smartphone:

– Ultralight Wireless Headset, $129: This high-performance Bluetooth(R) technology headset weighs only 9 grams and has DSP (Digital Signal Processing) technology for clear calls. With up to three hours of battery life, increasing to nine hours with included AAA battery charger, the headset comes in a sleek metal case and includes the Treo AC Adaptor charger adaptor (AC charger not included).

– Leather Holster Case, $29.99: Keep the new Treo 680 smartphone safe and easily accessible. With durable construction, this simple sleek holster design is a perfect Treo 680 accessory.

– Palm Replacement Battery, $49.99; with Cradle Kit, $59.99: Treo users can extend talk time with a genuine Palm spare or replacement battery pack. It recharges in the phone or in the battery drawer of the Cradle Kit and meets all Palm and regulatory compliance requirements while having built-in overcharging protection.

– Vehicle Power Charger (VPC), $29.99: Perfect for those days when customers forget to recharge while they’re at home; they can now do it in the car on the way to work. The VPC works in all vehicles with a cigarette lighter or auxiliary power plug.

– Antiglare Screen Protectors, $14.99: The screen is precut for a perfect fit to eliminate glare on the Treo 680, while protecting the screen from scratches, smudges and dust.

Pricing and Availability

The unlocked Treo 680 smartphone is $399 and is available for preorder today at http://www.palm.com. It will be available in Palm U.S. retail stores after Dec. 1.