Eastern Europe and Russia's largest mobile operator MTS (Mobile TeleSystems) is set to launch advanced mobile services with the Nokia mobile Multimedia Messaging Solution (MMS) in the Russian regions of Kuban (Krasnodar), North-West (St.Petersburg) and Siberia (Novosibirsk).

 

With the Nokia MMS solution, MTS' customers will be able to use MMS-capable phones to exchange rich multimedia messages containing text, images, graphics, voice, and audio clips. The Nokia Multimedia Terminal Gateway allows users of non-MMS phones to also enjoy MMS service. 

 

 "Demand for advanced mobile services is booming in Russia and MTS is committed to bring its customers the very latest and innovative services," says  Mikhail Khanov, MTS Research and Development director.

 

"Nokia's proven track record on the MMS solution and their commitment played a major role in our decision. As our key technology partner, Nokia understood our needs well and they could deliver, implement and support our MMS platform quickly and effectively," adds Mikhail Khanov.

 

"This is the first project between MTS and Nokia in Russia. We are looking forward to a long and successful cooperation with MTS and we are pleased to be supplying this advanced solution for new services and applications to satisfy the requirements of MTS' rapidly growing number of subscribers," says Jonathan Sparrow, General Director, Nokia Networks, Russia,

 

Under the agreement, MTS will use Nokia's market-leading end-to-end solution, including the Nokia Multimedia Messaging Service Center (MMSC), the Nokia Multimedia Terminal Gateway and the Nokia Profile Server to provide person-to-person MMS service to its customers. 

 

Also included in the deal are installation and commissioning services, project management, onsite support and care services to keep the network running at peak performance. 

 

Nokia has among the wireless industry's most extensive track record in MMS with over 50 customers to date and an ever-growing number of launched systems, making multimedia messaging a reality for today's mobile consumers.

 

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (or "MTS") is the largest mobile phone operator in Russia, and Central and Eastern Europe in terms of subscribers. Together with its subsidiaries, the company services over 9.9 million subscribers. The 58 regions of Russia as well as Belarus and Ukraine in which MTS and its subsidiaries are licensed to provide GSM services have a total population of approximately 169.2 million. Since June 2000, MTS' shares have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol MBT. Additional information about MTS can be found on MTS' website at www.mtsgsm.com

 

Nokia is the world leader in mobile communications. Backed by its experience, innovation, user-friendliness and secure solutions, the company has become the leading supplier of mobile phones and a leading supplier of mobile, fixed broadband and IP networks. By adding mobility to the Internet Nokia creates new opportunities for companies and further enriches the daily lives of people. Nokia is a broadly held company with listings on six major exchanges.

 

 

Contact information:

Global Communications Department, Nokia Networks

Tel. (Int.) + 358 (0) 7180 38198

 Email networks.communications@nokia.com

 www.nokia.com

 

 

Notes to editors

 

Nokia has played a committed role in the Russian telecommunications industry.  Nokia has delivered radio telephony equipment to Russian customers for over forty years, and telephone switching systems for almost twenty-five.  Already in 1994, Nokia gained its first GSM customer.  Nokia has been involved in a number of joint ventures over the years, including the manufacturing of digital telephone systems. 

 

In 1997, Nokia formed the Russian company, ZAO Nokia Russia, with offices in Moscow and St. Petersburg, which currently employ over 50 people. The Russian division of Nokia Mobile Phones actively works to promote the company's state of the art phone models and provide support to its Russian dealers.  Already in 2003, Nokia has opened three concept stores in Moscow, three in St. Petersburg and one in Chelyabinsk. This year, mobile phone users in Russia have been able to appreciate such models as the Nokia 2100 and MMS-equipped models such as the Nokia 3510i, 3650, Nokia 5100, Nokia 6100, Nokia 6610, Nokia 6800, Nokia 7210, Nokia 7250, Nokia 7650 and Nokia 8910i