WESTLAKE, Texas-Nokia Telecommunications Inc. announced it has been selected as the sole supplier for the initial buildout of American Portable Telecom Inc.’s personal communications services network.
The $200 million contract calls for Nokia to supply Global System for Mobile communications equipment, base stations and engineering services, Nokia said.
The contract is Nokia’s first in the United States that calls for a complete PCS system and long-term engineering support, the company said. Nokia also is supplying $50 million in GSM equipment to Western Wireless Corp. for its PCS network and signed a supply agreement with GO Communications Inc. in June to supply $200 million in base station systems. GO is bidding in the current C-block auction and expects to deploy the base stations beginning in the fourth quarter.
APT is the fifth largest PCS license holder in the United States, with the potential to serve about 27.3 million people in the Columbus, Ohio, Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Pittsburgh and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Orlando, Fla., areas, Nokia said. APT plans to launch commercial service by early 1997.
