AT&T Wireless Thursday became the last in the triumvirate of U.S. GSM-based wireless carriers to turn to Nokia
for equipment and aid in rolling out its 3G network.
Cingular signed up with Nokia (as well as Siemens IC
Mobile and Ericsson) in December, while VoiceStream made its own three-year deal with Nokia in March.
AT&T Wireless elected to make Nokia the sole supplier of equipment for its radio access network. Nokia will deliver GSM/GPRS/EDGE
radio network systems, including its UltraSite base station solution. UltraSite supports GSM
high-speed data, and EDGE
The deal includes support services, including a Network Deployment Package covering GSM/GPRS/EDGE implementation, project management
and optimization, and the Nokia Care Package to maintain competitiveness of the network after rollout.
The deal enables AT&T Wireless to expand into the markets served by its recently acquired affiliate, TeleCorp. Those markets include
Alabama, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.