Nokia to provide USD 50 million network expansion for TAC in Thailand - further enhancing capacity and coverage

Nokia and TAC in Thailand have signed an agreement, valued at approximately USD 50 million, which will see the expansion and upgrade of the TAC GSM 1800 network. Deliveries will start immediately. Nokia has been supporting TAC as the main supplier at every stage of its network evolution since its service launch in 1994.

"This latest agreement with Nokia means that TAC can further improve its delivery of the most competitive and advanced services, as well as meet the increasing demands for additional capacity," said Boonchai Bencharongkul, Chairman and Managing Director of TAC. "With this expansion of the network throughout Thailand we are now ready to introduce new mobile Internet services based upon WAP, High Speed Data and soon GPRS."

Under the contract, Nokia will supply its High Speed Circuit Switched Data solution for high speed data capability, which virtually doubles the speed at which data is transmitted in the network. Other equipment to be delivered includes the world's most powerful mobile switch – the Nokia MSCi and High Capacity Base Station Controller BSCi. For superior indoor GSM coverage, TAC will also take delivery of the Nokia InSite base station solution. The expansion gives a solid platform for TAC to move towards the next generation of mobile networks including GPRS and 3G in the future.

"We are glad that TAC together with its strategic partner Telenor have continued to enhance the network with Nokia, to give their customers the most proven platform for new services both now and in the future," said Pekka Uusimaa, Managing Director, Nokia (Thailand). "There is an instant culture emerging among mobile phone users and using HSCSD, a world of high speed data access opens up, making bandwidth hungry applications and files more easily available on mobile terminals."

Total Access Communication Plc, or TAC was founded on August 31,1989. It has been a leading cellular operator providing mobile communications services in Thailand. TAC has offered both analog and digital cellular services using 28 MHz in the 800 MHz frequency band and 100 MHz in the 1800 MHz frequency band respectively. TAC was initially granted a 15-year "Build-Transfer-Operate" concession from the Communication Authority of Thailand in 1990. Subsequently the concession period was extended twice until the year 2018.

Nokia is paving the way to the mobile information society with its innovative products and solutions. Nokia is the leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile, broadband and IP networks, related services as well as multimedia terminals. In 1999, net sales totaled EUR 19.8 billion (USD 19.9 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on the New York (NOK), Helsinki, Stockholm, London, Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges and employs more than 60,000 people.

Further information:

Communications Department
Nokia Networks
Tel. + 358 9 5113 8193, Fax + 358 9 5112 8199
e-mail nokia.networks@nokia.com

www.nokia.com