Innovative, modular Nokia Flexi WCDMA base station allows a new way to build a 3G network

Nokia and Indonesian operator Telkomsel have signed a new three-year WCDMA 3G/HSPA radio and core network, and managed services contracts that will see Nokia support Telkomsel in strengthening its business and introducing 3G services, such as streaming video, to its customers.

“We are committed to launching a high-quality, wide-coverage 3G network that can provide innovative services that are beneficial for the people, the businesses, and the country of Indonesia. We trust Nokia to provide us highest-quality end-to-end network solutions,” says Kiskenda Suriahardja, President Director, Telkomsel.

“The contracts strengthen Nokia’s position as Telkomsel’s network equipment and service provider, and underline Nokia’s capabilities in managing outsourced networks,” says Marko KytГ¶harju, Country Director, Networks, Nokia Indonesia. “Telkomsel, like many other operators today, has complex multivendor network. Nokia’s managed services can help the operators to reduce the complexity, freeing up their resources to focus on core business activities.”

Nokia will operate Telkomsel’s multivendor WCDMA 3G network, which will be supported by the Nokia NetAct(TM) network and service management system. In addition, Nokia will provide network planning, implementation, multivendor integration, and delivery services with turnkey responsibility.

Under the agreements, Nokia will supply Telkomsel radio solutions, including the modular, high capacity Nokia Flexi WCDMA Base Station and Nokia High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) software to deliver Telkomsel top performance. From its Unified Core Network solutions Nokia will supply Nokia MSC Server mobile softswitch, Nokia Intelligent Content Delivery (ICD), Nokia IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), Push to talk over Cellular (PoC), Presence, and charging solutions, and Flexi Intelligent Service Node (INS) that will enable Telkomsel to offer and manage a wide range of advanced IP-based multimedia services in a cost-efficient way.

The 3G network and managed services contracts cover Greater Jakarta, and West and Central Java, which are the most densely populated areas in Indonesia. The application and charging solutions, including ICD, IMS, Flexi ISN, PoC and Presence, will be delivered nationwide to cover all provinces in Indonesia. The managed services contract also covers the nationwide applications and charging solution.

Nokia has been working with Telkomsel since 1996, providing GSM, GPRS and EDGE infrastructure and turnkey services for the operator’s network.

The modular, high capacity Nokia Flexi WCDMA Base Station is an innovation enabling operators to make more efficient use of their base station sites than ever before, leading to significant site cost savings through reduced site construction work, quick base station installation and decreased power consumption.

Seven Asian operators today announced the formation of an alliance to enhance competitiveness in the international roaming market and deliver corporate services across the Asia-Pacific region.

The Asia Pacific Mobile Alliance boasts a combined customer base of about 100 million subscribers over eight countries and regions, but plans to expand its members over time.

The founding members are: Far EasTone (Taiwan), Hutchison Essar (India), Hutchison Telecommunications Limited (Hong Kong and Macau), KTF (South Korea), NTT DoCoMo (Japan), PT Indosat (Indonesia) and StarHub (Singapore).

The alliance will promote voice, video and data roaming via members’ GSM/GPRS/WCDMA networks, with an intention to launch roaming via HSDPA once the market is ready. These initiatives are targeted for launch in the latter half of 2006.

The alliance also aims to create a Virtual Home Environment amongst customers of member operators, so that they are able to experience seamless, convenient mobile-related services when they roam. Such services include caller ID and short codes to allow quick and easy connection to their home country operator’s voice mail and customer support.

The formation of the Asia Pacific Mobile Alliance marks the arrival of the region’s second such partnership. Last year the Bridge Mobile Alliance launched its first services – seamless GPRS and MMS roaming and a common prepaid roaming top up service.

The Bridge Alliance’s founding operator members are Airtel in India, CSL in Hong Kong, Globe Telecom in the Philippines, Maxis in Malaysia, SingTel Mobile in Singapore, SingTel Optus in Australia, Taiwan Mobile in Taiwan and Telkomsel in Indonesia. But the organisation has now opened its doors to the vendor community, with the inclusion of Chinese vendor ZTE, Sweden’s Ericsson and US manufacturer Motorola.