Nokia to switch S'pore M1 mobile network to GSM

Nokia to switch S'pore M1 mobile network to GSM

LONDON (AFX): Nokia said it has landed a contract -- worth up
to US$290 million over 5 years -- to replace Singapore mobile
operator Mobile One (Asia) Pte's existing CDMAOne network with a
GSM one, and then build a third generation mobile network on top
of it.

The deal means that all Singapore's mobile networks will use
GSM technology, as well as the W-CDMA 3G technology favored in
most Japanese networks and all European ones.

Mobile One (M1) is owned by a consortium in which The Keppel
Group holds 35 percent, Singapore Press Holdings holds 35
percent, Cable Wireless PLC holds 15 percent and Cable Wireless
HKT, now majority owned by Pacific Century CyberWorks, also holds
15 percent.

Nokia said it is committed to having the new network up and
running by the end of next year, and to build it so as to allow
its base stations to be upgraded to support W-CDMA. M1 runs a GSM
network at 900 MHz side by side with its cdmaOne network, but
will now provide dual-band GSM services with the new equipment
using the 1800 MHz waveband.

M1 will be applying for a 3G license next year along with its
competitors, but is having to prepare now to move away from its
current spectrum allocation, which has now been allotted to 3G
licenses, an M1 spokesman said.

"To some extent the move has been forced upon us" by the
government's decision to re-allocate the spectrum at around 1950
MHz, the spokesman said.

But he added that the company recognized that relying on GSM,
leading to W-CDMA, was a better policy than sticking to cdmaOne.

"There were other wavebands available, but there are other
benefits. We're looking for the longer term in terms of 3G, and
we were looking for the alternative that offers the biggest
benefits... That seems most likely to be GSM and W-CDMA," he
said.
The prevalence of the GSM/W-CDMA option elsewhere in the region
and in Europe meant that it made sense to switch, he said.