ESPOO, Finland, November 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Orange France has launched the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) services in Toulouse and Bordeaux, using Nokia's HSDPA solution. Orange will be able to operate its network more cost-efficiently with the Nokia solution, and offer its customers faster data services and an enhanced service experience.
"HSDPA will offer significant speed and efficiency benefits to us and our customers. We are delighted with the excellent performance of Nokia's HSDPA solution, which supports us in bringing mobile broadband services to the market," says Nicolas Roy, Technical Director, Orange France.
In addition to WCDMA 3G and HSDPA infrastructure, Nokia has provided Orange with radio optimization services for optimal HSDPA experience.
"We are extremely pleased to further contribute to Orange's expansion to mobile broadband services," says Damien Sante, Account Director, Networks, Nokia. "We believe that HSDPA will be yet another improvement to the experience of Orange mobile users, not only in terms of higher bit rates, but also because of a better latency, enhanced usability of current applications and enabling new types of real-time applications, in particular in the enterprise sector. This means, for example, that a typical music song can be downloaded in 20 seconds with HSDPA, while it would last a bit less than two minutes with WCDMA."
In WCDMA 3G, Nokia has 63 customers to date. High-performing Nokia HSPA is a simple software upgrade to Nokia WCDMA networks, thus enabling a fast, cost-effective rollout. Nokia HSPA is made up of two key technologies, HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) and HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access), enabling true mobile broadband with breakthrough data speeds up to 14.4 Mbps in the downlink and up to 5.8 Mbps in the uplink.
Nokia HSDPA offers almost 10-times faster data services than current 3G networks, generating an enhanced service experience. Nokia is a leader in the HSDPA market, with a large number of HSDPA contracts. Many network operators have already opened their HSDPA networks with the Nokia solution.
About Orange
The Orange group is one of the world's largest mobile communications companies and a subsidiary of the France Telecom group, with operations in 17 countries across Europe and beyond as at the end of September 2005. It provides a broad range of personal communications services, including Orange GSM1800 services and other digital cellular telephone services. Within the Orange Group, the Orange brand operates in the UK, France, Poland, Switzerland, Romania, Slovakia, Thailand, the Ivory Coast, the Dominican Republic, Cameroon, the Netherlands, Botswana, and Madagascar. The Orange group also has controlled operations in Belgium (Mobistar). The Orange group has a joint controlling interest in Egypt (MobiNil) and minority interests in Portugal (Optimus) and in Austria (One). As at the end of June 2005 Orange had 14.46 million active customers in the UK, and over 21.4 million registered customers in France. As at the end of June 2005, and not including customers in Poland (8.02 million customers), Orange controlled companies had over 56.1 million customers worldwide. Orange, along with TIM, Telefonica and T-Mobile, is a founding member of the FreeMove alliance. Further information about Orange can be found on the Orange website at http://www.orange.com/.
About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations.
http://www.nokia.com/
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