MobileOne again chooses Nokia for USD 30 million expansion and upgrade of its GSM network.

HELSINKI, Finland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 7, 1999--MobileOne and Nokia have signed an agreement for the sixth expansion of MobileOne's GSM network in Singapore. This expansion, valued at approximately US$ 30 million, will enable the MobileOne GSM900 network to support over 400,000 subscribers when it is completed in September 1999.

Under the contract, Nokia will supply its mobile and transit switches, home location register, base stations, base station controllers, and Smart Messaging Service Centres. As part of the deal, MobileOne will purchase the Nokia MetroSite solution including the Nokia MetroHopper radio, which is used for network transmission and operates in the 58 GHz frequency band.

"Singapore has one of the highest mobile penetration rates in the world at approximately 30 per cent. This expansion, including the Nokia MetroSite solution will play an important role in continuing to provide superb coverage and capacity for our subscribers," says MobileOne's Chief Executive Officer, Neil Montefiore. "We are pleased to continue our long-standing relationship with Nokia, since MobileOne launched its service in 1997."

"With the growth of new services and rapidly growing mobile phone penetration rates, capacity can be a challenge in today's GSM networks. The Nokia MetroSite capacity solution is ideal for operators such as MobileOne, to turn this capacity demand into an opportunity," said Antti Raikkonen, Managing Director, Nokia Pte. Ltd., Nokia Telecommunications. "MobileOne has reached an excellent position together with Nokia, having grown to already accommodate 330,000 GSM subscribers in its first two years of operation."

MobileOne (Asia) Pte Ltd, provides mobile and paging services in Singapore and is a consortium comprising of the Keppel Group, Singapore Press Holdings, Cable & Wireless and Hongkong Telecom.

Nokia offers total GSM systems, with everything from digital mobile phones to transmission and switching as well as extensive services and network management solutions for building, efficiently operating and developing these networks. Having supplied GSM technology to 82 operators in 38 countries, Nokia ranks as one of the world's leading suppliers of GSM networks.

Nokia is the world's leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile and fixed telecom networks including related customer services. Nokia also supplies solutions and products for fixed and wireless datacom, as well as multimedia terminals and computer monitors. In 1998, net sales totaled FIM 79.2 billion (USD 15.7 billion, EUR 13.3 billion). Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is listed on five European Stock Exchanges and on the New York Stock Exchange (NOK.A), has sales in over 130 countries and employs more than 44,000 people worldwide.

Notes to Editors:

The complete Nokia MetroSite solution forms part of the Nokia High Capacity GSM System. Nokia MetroSite includes a high-capacity base station, a base station controller, a transmission node and two integrated radio options for cellular transmission. This new solution is intended for networks in areas of dense call traffic, such as business sectors, train or subway stations and shopping districts. This total site solution is also designed to make high capacity affordable by cutting operators' total network costs by up to 50 per cent.