Global Operators Launch Commercial High-Speed Data Services Using Nokia Solutions - Nokia's Card Phone 2.0 and other High-Speed Circuit Switched Data systems - Product Information

Cambridge Telcom Report, Dec 6, 1999

Several global GSM operators have now launched their High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD) networks using Nokia solutions, enabling them to provide advanced wireless data services.

E Plus in Germany, Europolitan in Sweden, EuroTel, Czech Republic, One, of Austria, M1 Singapore, Sonera, Finland, Sonofon in Denmark and Telenor in Norway are now able to offer high-speed data services to customers using Nokia HSCSD technology. This will enable fast access to Internet as well as other time critical applications the norm. Nokia has more than 20 HSCSD customers worldwide.

"As demand for wireless data services continues to grow, the higher transmission speeds provided by Nokia's HSCSD network technology allows the development of new wireless services and is the prerequisite for many future data services," says Charles Fraenkl, Managing Director, E Plus.

"The Nokia HSCSD solution offers operators a cost effective way of satisfying the current demands of users with high mobile data use, while laying the groundwork to capture the lucrative data markets that will open up with the advent of third generation mobile systems," says Olli Oittinen, Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Radio Access Systems, Nokia Networks.

High-speed data will be complemented and will be enhanced by other technologies such as General Packet Radio Services (GPRS), laying the ground for future 3rd Generation mobile multimedia technology. HSCSD can for example, provide active e-mail and file transfer, with GPRS running in the background for wireless data networking.

High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD) is an ETSI defined standard that gives GSM users the mobile equivalent of an ISDN line. Data rates for subscribers can be remarkably improved with an increase up to 57.6 kbit/s compared to existing data speeds of 9.6 kbit/s.

Nokia's end-to-end HSCSD solution includes the Nokia Card Phone 2.0., a PC Card with a built-in GSM phone supporting HSCSD, enabling data transmission of up to 43.2 Kbit/s without data compression. The Nokia Card Phone 2.0 is also the world's first dual band high speed data terminal, operating both in GSM 900 and 1800 networks.

The Nokia Card Phone 2.0 comes with the latest 14.4kbit/s data speed and multiple timeslots so that data rates in multiples 14.4. kbit/s are possible.This means that operators are able to provide their customers with a variety of new bit-rates. When sending and receiving e-mail, the data speed can be doubled to up to 28.8 bits/s and for downloading web pages the Nokia Card Phone 2.0 is able to triple data transmission speeds to 43.2 kbit/s.

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, fixed and IP networks including related services. It also supplies multimedia terminals and computer displays. In 1998, net sales totaled EUR 13.3 billion (USD 15.7 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on the New York (NOK), Helsinki, Stockholm, London, Frankfurt and Paris stock exchanges and employs more than 53,000 people.