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Sprint and Nokia team to offer web-capable phone
June 15, 1999
Sprint, Nokia sign contract worth up to $500 million
Sprint PCS (NYSE: PCS) and Nokia (NYSE: NOK) today announced an agreement to offer web-capable, dual-band Nokia 6185 phones and single band Nokia 5170 phones.
Both phones will deliver the benefits of the Sprint PCS 100 percent digital, 100 percent PCS nationwide wireless network. Sprint PCS is the nation's fastest growing wireless carrier with service in more than 280 metropolitan markets nationwide.
The contract between Sprint PCS and Nokia calls for the delivery of a minimum of $360 million worth of dual-mode Nokia 6185 and single band Nokia 5170 CDMA PCS phones. The contract has the potential to increase to over $500 million. Deliveries of the browser-ready Nokia 6185 phones have begun. In early autumn, Nokia 6185 phones will include a web browser for the delivery of value-added services. The phones will be manufactured at Nokia's facilities in Fort Worth, Texas.
"The nationwide coverage, value-packed offers and future data services of the Sprint PCS all-digital CDMA network combined with cutting-edge phones from Nokia offer consumers and businesses a great product," said Charles Levine, chief sales and marketing officer for Sprint PCS. "Now customers can receive all of the benefits and clarity of Sprint PCS in two of Nokia's most popular wireless phones."
"Nokia is pleased to provide Sprint PCS with phones for its 100 percent digital Sprint PCS CDMA nationwide network," said K-P Wilska, president of Nokia Mobile Phones, Americas. "With Nokia's new range of CDMA phones, Sprint PCS customers have a choice when selecting CDMA digital technology."
Sprint PCS and Nokia
Nokia and Sprint PCS have also teamed with 7 UP in a May through August Join the UNderground Network national promotion. Supported by a multi-million dollar TV advertising campaign, Join the UNderground Network will award grand prize trips to an UNderground Party, 14,000 Sprint PCS Nokia 5170 digital wireless phones and three months' free Sprint PCS service will be awarded to consumers during the promotion. The collaboration with 7UP will give Nokia and Sprint PCS consumer exposure on more than 700 million bottles and cans that will be sold in more than 100 thousand (non-traditional "wireless") points of distribution.
Sprint PCS and Yahoo! recently announced an agreement to offer Yahoo!â Web content and services to Sprint PCS wireless subscribers using Sprint PCS phones. Under the terms of the agreement, Sprint PCS and Yahoo! will jointly provide a range of co-branded Sprint PCS and My Yahoo! services to both companies' users. The companies expect to make the services available in the fourth quarter of 1999. The Nokia 6185 phone is one of the many Sprint PCS phones expected to deliver these services.
Sprint PCS operates the largest 100 percent digital, 100 percent PCS nationwide wireless network in the United States, already serving the majority of the nation's metropolitan areas including more than 4,000 cities and communities across the country. Sprint PCS has licensed PCS coverage of nearly 270 million people in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, visit the Sprint PCS web site at http://www.sprintpcs.com. Sprint PCS is a wholly owned tracking group of Sprint Corporation trading on the NYSE under the symbol "PCS."
Sprint is a global communications company at the forefront in integrating long distance, local and wireless communications services and one of the world's largest carriers of Internet traffic. Sprint built and operates the United States' only nationwide all-digital, fiber optic network and is a leader in advanced data communications services. Sprint has $17 billion in annual revenues and serves more than 17 million business and residential customers.
Nokia is the world's leading mobile phone supplier and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed and IP networks including related customer services. Nokia also supplies solutions and products for fixed and wireless datacom, as well as 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, has sales in over 130 countries and employs more than 47,000 people worldwide.
Contact information:
Megan Matthews
Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications
Nokia (Americas)
+1 972 894 4267 (O)
+1 214 507 4601 (mobile)
Tom Murphy, Sprint PCS
Director of Media Relations
+1 816 559 6703 (O)
+1 888 347 1660 (pager)
E-mail: tmurph01@sprintspectrum.com
Ashley Pindell, Sprint PCS
Manager of Media Relations
+1 816 559 6702 (O)
+1 888 661 4589 (pager)
E-mail: apinde01@sprintspectrum.com
www.sprintpcs.com/news
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