CANNES, France-Nortel Networks Ltd. said it has launched a pre-commercial UMTS network with Orange France for the Cannes International Film Festival and is providing the gear for Orange’s new third-generation service offerings planned for mass consumers later this year in southern France.
Nortel said it is the sole supplier for Orange’s radio equipment to cover the entire Cote d’Azur region and southern France, including Cannes, Nice, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Toulon, Grenoble and St. Etienne.
“The Cannes deployment is a very important project for us-first to demonstrate live reliability and performance of 3G at the industry’s largest trade forum, and now to debut our 3G data service offerings at one of the world’s highest-profile entertainment events,” said Didier Quillot, chief executive officer, Orange France.
Quillot referred to the 3GSM conference and exhibition, which is the world’s largest GSM technology event, held in February in Cannes and the Cannes International Film Festival. Orange and Nortel also deployed the pre-commercial UMTS network in Cannes in February during 3GSM 2004.
