Africa
Telecel said it has selected Nortel Networks to supply Global System for Mobile
communication systems for its emerging markets in Zambia, the Central African Republic, Burundi and a fourth
country to be announced later this year. The $24 million agreement calls for delivery of GSM infrastructure, voice mail
services, pre-paid platforms, microwave equipment and value-added services, said Telecel. Nortel also will provide
radio site survey services, cell planning, installation, maintenance, project management and training to
Telecel.
Ireland
Brightpoint Inc. announced it entered into an additional three-year agreement with Esat
Digifone, a Global System for Mobile communications operator based in Dublin, Ireland. Brightpoint said it will
provide distribution services, including prepaid subscriber identity module card and recharge card management,
wireless handsets, accessories and recharge cards for Digifone’s outlets throughout Ireland.
France
France
Telecom said it launched a new service that lets customers of its Itineris Global System for Mobile communications
cellular network check e-mail addresses from their mobile phones. Designed for people who already have e-mail
addresses, the service redirects messages from their regular account to the Itineris voice e-mail service. Subscribers are
notified they have new mail with a short message on the handset showing the sender’s name, subject, priority and
number of attachments, said France Telecom. Users then can respond by sending either a standard text message or by
recording a voice message.
Brazil
Synacom Technology Inc. announced Algar Telecom Leste S.A. launched a
Time Division Multiple Access network in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with Synacom’s CloneSafe Secure Authentication
Key Management System. Synacom said SAMS generates new authentication keys for each subscriber and, through
encrypted modem communication to the validator, the A-keys are programmed into subscriber handsets, eliminating
the need for A-keys ever to be visible. ATL is Brazil’s newest B-band digital service provider covering the states of Rio
de Janeiro and Espirito Santo, said Synacom.
