Algeria and Lithuania Railways and works with Turkish construction company, Yapi Merkezi on the Polatli to Konya section of the Turkish high-speed railway project.

Nortel Teams with American Samoa Telecommunications Authority to Bring 3G Mobile Broadband to Island Residents

AMERICAN SAMOA  Dec. 17, 2008 -- Whether customers of  American Samoa Telecommunications Authority (ASTCA) are fishing off the coast of Tutu'ila or working in the office in Pago Pago, they now have access to ultra-fast mobile broadband thanks to a network expansion with a Nortel CDMA solution. Now, more than 80 percent of households subscribing to services provided by ASTCA have access to affordable, ubiquitous coverage, available across the five main islands of American Samoa, including some of the most remote and challenging areas.

ASTCA is using Nortel's 3G CDMA 1xEV-DO Rev A solution to provide customers with a wireline-quality Internet experience from laptops or any PDA device, anywhere on the island. The network, which spans Tutu'ila, Aunu'u and the three Manu'a islands, allows mobile users to access real-time applications and content at affordable rates because of the highly efficient network performance and low total cost of ownership of Nortel's solution. As a result, ASTCA can support the explosion in user demand for new multimedia services being driven by Hyperconnectivity  - a global trend where anything that can be connected, will be connected. Now, users in all corners of the American Samoa islands have access to ultra-fast mobile broadband at work, home or on the move.

"The real advantage of deploying Nortel's CDMA 1xEV-DO solution was that it was simple, requiring a minimal addition to our existing network," Alex Sene, deputy director, ASTCA Engineering. "We were quickly able to provide customers with ultra-fast 3G wireless broadband across the islands. Whether they're hiking in a remote area or working from their home or office, our customers have high-speed access that Nortel's EV-DO solution can provide. The solution allows us to accommodate increased subscriber and traffic growth on our network and most importantly, it allows us to effectively meet our customer demands for high-speed data rates in mobile, portable and fixed environments."

"From basic communications to streaming video entertainment, Nortel's 1xEV-DO solution enables a wireless lifestyle that allows users the freedom and flexibility to have their world at their fingertips," said Danny Locklear, vice president, Carrier Networks Marketing, Nortel. "With this solution, ASTCA can offer bandwidth-hungry applications like music downloads or video streaming at lower costs while providing users with the same experience as subscribers enjoy today in some of the most advanced markets in the world. With Nortel's 1xEV-DO solution, customers can use high-speed data services in the same way they use mobile voice services today. Nortel's 1xEV-DO solution takes the desktop Internet experience and extends it to all wireless devices - which is extremely important across the rugged terrain and remote location of the American Samoa islands."

The solution includes Nortel's industry leading Radio Network Controller and Base Stations that are designed and built with unique innovations in power amplifiers and transceivers. This technology provides significant reductions in power consumption while reducing carbon emissions, creating a more cost-effective and environmentally friendly network. In addition to the 1xEV-DO Rev A capabilities, ASTCA's existing network was also expanded with features that increase network bandwidth and improve network efficiency for lower operational costs.

New Nortel IP Voice Core Drives GSM-R Momentum in Algeria and Lithuania

PARIS, France  Dec. 17, 2008 -- Nortel has launched an All-IP Voice Core solution for rail operators based on the Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) platform. The new solution provides robust carrier-grade voice core for GSM-R infrastructure delivering instant mobile communications benefits even at high-speeds. Nortel is now delivering the ATCA-compliant Voice Core in solutions for rail operators in Algeria and Lithuania.

Platforms based on open ATCA standards are emerging as preferred foundations for advanced high- performance telecommunications applications. The  award-winning  Nortel All-IP Voice Core equips high-speed rail operators to achieve immediate improvements in operational efficiency. It enables drivers, dispatchers, shunting team members, train engineers, station controllers and other railway employees to use a common interoperable communications system to communicate safely, reliably and securely. Improved communications helps to ensure passenger safety and railway track efficiency while reducing operational cost.

The new solution includes the switching, mobility and subscriber management functions needed to achieve seamless and secure operation of wireless voice service for railway operations. And it helps reduce operational costs through ease-of-maintenance, improved network management features and the ability to operate efficiently using less power.

New generation Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) designed specifically for rail operators are also included in the solution. The new generation BTS has a dual TDMA feature which increases radio coverage and enables a reduction in the number of base stations needed as well as the required height of the radio masts.

"Nortel is continuing its GSM-R leadership and innovation with a new solution that expands our portfolio of solutions for rail operators," said Graham Richardson, general manager GSM, Nortel. "Thanks to advanced IP technology the ATCA-compliant All-IP Voice Core Solution helps cut operating costs and offers ease of transition to enhanced services allowing operators to increase productivity and improve customer service."

LitRail (Lithuanian Railways) an early adopter of the new solution attests to Richardson's claims. "Following the acceptance tests for our Nortel All IP Voice Core solution we are fully convinced of its benefits. It is powerful and its energy efficiency features mean it is also a power-saver," said Arturas Ovcarukas the GSM-R deputy project manager at LitRail.

This new generation technology enables significant reductions in power consumption that bring operational cost-savings for operators while preserving the environment. "We are working to reduce the power consumption on all our product lines and, as an example of our focus, today's ATCA-based products are achieving energy savings of up to 60 percent over their TDM predecessors," Richardson affirms.

By enhancing track to train communications these operators in Algeria and Lithuania are making rail services safer, more efficient and more competitive. This in turn is helping people and businesses to choose railways over less environmentally friendly modes of transport such as buses, road and short-haul aviation.

Nortel won two best in show awards at the October 2008  Advanced TCA Summit in Santa Clara, California for platforms based on Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (ATCA) standards. The Nortel All-IP Next Generation Mobile Switching Center (MSC), the industry's only softswitch solution providing GSM and CDMA operators with a carrier-grade ATCA-compliant computing platform, received the Best Unique Customer Applications Award. Nortel's Versatile Service Engine (VSE) was selected as best infrastructure product.

Yapi Merkezi Selects Nortel Solution for Turkish State Railways Project

ISTANBUL, Turkey  Dec. 17, 2008 -- Nortel has been selected by Turkish construction company Yapi Merkezi to supply the telecommunications solution for the Polatli to Konya section of the Turkish high-speed railway project.

The Nortel solution, which includes GSM-R, SDH transmission backbone and dispatcher telephony systems, will cover the Polatli-Konya section of high-speed railway which runs between the cities of Ankara and Konya in Turkey. Implementation of the telecommunications portion of the project will begin in 2009 and is scheduled for completion in 2010.

The telecommunications system contract, valued at €4 million, is part of the wider Polatli-Konya high-speed railway superstructure and electromechanical systems program being delivered to Turkish State Railways by Yapi Merkezi. The program will provide a fast, cost-effective, reliable and safe transportation infrastructure to ensure the convenience, safety and comfort of rail passengers across Turkey.

Railway superstructure is being installed by Yapi Merkezi with Nortel Netas deploying the telecommunications solution including GSM-R, SDH transmission backbone and telephony systems. This integrated digital communications solution mobilizes and unites digital communications for railways by carrying signaling and operational information directly to train operators: enabling faster speeds and greater traffic density. The GSM-R solution includes base stations and advanced high-speed railways tunnel communications and services.

Turkey's government has made it a priority to improve railroad transportation in the country and has pledged investment of some US$15 billion by the year 2020. Turkey holds a geographically strategic transportation position as it links Europe and Asia.

"The Polatli-Konya line is a key milestone in Turkey's railroad investment journey and it is a testament to Nortel's proven worldwide strength in GSM-R and our continued significant presence in Turkey that we were chosen by Yapi Merkezi for this important contract," said C. Müjdat Altay, general manager Nortel Netas.

"We selected Nortel for this project because not only did they offer the most advanced GSM-R portfolio, they could also provide complete radio system delivery and enhanced services thanks to the long established local presence of Nortel Netas," said Basar Arioglu, president, Yapi Merkezi.

When fully deployed the Polatli-Konya GSM-R system will allow drivers, dispatchers, shunting team members, train engineers, station controllers and other Turkish State Railway employees to use a common interoperable communications system to communicate safely, reliably and securely. Improved communications helps to ensure passenger safety and railway track efficiency while reducing operational costs.

Turkey is bordered by Bulgaria where Nortel recently received a contract to deliver GSM-R mobile communications railway technology to the Bulgarian National Railway Infrastructure Company.

Nortel has over 10 years' experience with GSM-R mobile communications technology and is currently providing GSM-R on three continents. Nortel has been awarded national GSM-R contracts in Algeria, Austria, France, Germany, Lithuania and the UK as well as large GSM-R deployments in China, the Czech Republic, Italy, India, Slovakia, Spain and now Turkey.

About Nortel Netas

Nortel Netas provides seamless solutions to a wide customer base in Turkey with an extensive range of services and products for the last four decades. The company has been deploying network solutions, services and communication infrastructure for Turk Telekom, Turkish Armed Forces, service providers and enterprises in Turkey and has been introducing cutting-edge solutions to the Turkish market thanks to its largest private telecommunications technology group in Turkey. Nortel established The Global Operations Centre of Excellence in Istanbul in 2007.

About Nortel

Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that make the promise of Business Made Simple a reality for customers. Our next-generation technologies, for both service provider and enterprise networks, support multimedia and business-critical applications. Nortel's technologies are designed to help eliminate today's barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they need it. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries around the world.

Information Source:    Nortel