Hutchison 3G Austria To Fire Up 3G HSDPA

Europe : The Austrian mobile carrier Hutchison 3G (3), which is headquartered in Vienna, is relying on state-of-the-art technology from Siemens to build out its existing W-CDMA network. The carrier currently provides coverage for around 98 percent of Austria's population and offers W-CDMA services to around 50% of the country. By the end of 2007, plans call for some 95 percent of the country to benefit from the advantages of high-speed data access (HSDPA) technology - high throughput and transfer rates. The agreement between Siemens and 3 is based on a turnkey contract comprising supply of the W-CDMA technology and a Managed Services package. The order is worth an amount in the multi-digit millions.

Hutchison 3G is expanding its W-CDMA network in Austria and at the same time integrating today's fastest transport technology for wireless networks. High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) is a method that speeds up data transmission in W-CDMA networks by eight to sixteen times. The transfer rates are between 2.4 and 7.2 megabits a second, with a theoretical maximum of 14.4 megabits a second. Networks equipped with this data accelerator offer major benefits to subscribers, who can dial into the Internet using their mobile phone or other mobile end device and use broadband multimedia services such as Mobile TV on the road. Long waiting times are a thing of the past thanks to HSDPA.

"There's nothing faster or better at present: HSDPA is the accelerator for W-CDMA networks and vital to ensuring that the latest broadband applications run smoothly. A key distinguishing feature of our solution is the fact that a software upgrade is enough to implement it in the network," said Christoph Caselitz, President of Mobile Networks at Siemens Communications.

A Managed Services package is part of the agreement. Siemens will plan, set up and partially operate its customer's network. The network operation service comprises network management and monitoring as well as maintenance work. Daniel Rui-Felicio, head of Carrier Service at Siemens Communications, sees a global trend: "More and more operators are putting the operation of their networks in our hands. They are doing that for two main reasons: They can keep their eyes focused more closely on their core business, and they know exactly what costs they can expect in the long term."

Hutchison 3G is the first carrier to sign a Managed Services agreement with Siemens in Austria. Competitors are also to be able to access the network. "Unlike some competitors, as a pure 3G company we want to provide a genuine full-coverage W-CDMA network. We are convinced that an open W-CDMA platform for rural regions will be a great asset in the future and a benefit to the Austrian economy," commented Berthold Thoma, 3's CEO.

Hutchison 3G Austria GmbH
Hutchison 3G Austria GmbH started in May 2003 with the brand 3 as the first sole mobile multi media provider in Austria. 3 offers multimedia products such as video calling, music videos and mobile television on the UMTS-mobile and in addition provides the classic ways of communication (voice calling, SMS and MMS). With 340,000 customers (as per: March 2006) 3 is the clear market leader with UMTS applications. Hutchison 3G Austria GmbH is wholly owned by Hutchison Whampoa Limited in Hong Kong.

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