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Mobilink Selects Motorola to Deploy its WiMAX Network in Pakistan


WEBWIRE

Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) today announced an agreement with long-standing customer Mobilink (an Orascom Telecom Company) to deploy a WiMAX 802.16e-2005 access network for the operator in Pakistan. Under the terms of the agreement, Motorola will design, plan, deploy and optimize a WiMAX network for Mobilink, deliver integration and support services as well as indoor and outdoor customer premises equipment (CPE) units to enable faster adoption of the operator’s WiMAX offering.

Covering major metropolitan areas such as Lahore and Islamabad, the new Motorola-based 802.16e-2005 WiMAX network will enable Mobilink to extend its current service offering beyond cellular and data offerings to high speed broadband and VoIP services for fixed line residential and business subscribers. This is Motorola’s second WiMAX 802.16e network in Pakistan, with the first being a turnkey end-to-end nationwide WiMAX/IMS network awarded in 2006. This is also Motorola’s fourth commercial WiMAX deployment in the Middle East and Africa region, which further reinforces Motorola’s regional as well as global leadership.

“Over the last 14 years of our collaboration, Motorola has developed a solid understanding of Mobilink’s business strategy and has effectively supported us in growing our subscriber base to almost 30 million subscribers with reliable and innovative GSM technology solutions. As we adopt new technologies to meet evolving customer needs, we wanted to work with a trusted wireless broadband solutions provider. Motorola was a natural choice to support us in designing and deploying our 802.16e WiMAX network in Pakistan to offer our growing customer base next-generation broadband services,“ said Zouhair Khaliq, president and CEO, Mobilink.

The benefits of the WiMAX network to Mobilink’s customer base will include rapid broadband access in geographic areas where broadband coverage was not previously available. WiMAX is anticipated to offer affordable broadband as well as a convenient end-user solution with unified pre-paid billing.

“Today’s announcement with Mobilink and Orascom Telecom for WiMAX highlights both the long-term viability of this solution and the vibrancy of Pakistan’s communications sector. We are proud to be building on our long relationship with Mobilink in Pakistan with the deployment of WiMAX, a technology that is set to have a transformative effect for Mobilink and its customers, providing unprecedented wireless broadband speed and accessibility. This is another example of Motorola’s continued commitment to bringing the latest technology to Pakistan, from delivering the first GSM network in 1994 to the country’s first nationwide WIMAX 802.16e network in 2006. This second Motorola WiMAX 802.16e network in Pakistan, delivered to our long-standing customer Mobilink, further reinforces the confidence of our Pakistan-based customers in Motorola’s technology and services,” said Ali Amer, vice president sales, Middle East, Africa and Pakistan, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility.

This Mobilink WiMAX agreement is the culmination of 14 years of collaboration between Motorola and Mobilink and builds on Motorola’s regional and global leadership in WiMAX. Motorola is involved in more than 55 WiMAX engagements, including 43 active trials, with customers in more than 35 countries around the world and has contracts with 14 of them for commercial WiMAX systems.

The total amount of the purchase price will be financed by Motorola.

About Mobilink
Mobilink is an Orascom Telecom Group company and is Pakistan’s leading cellular service provider with a subscriber growth of 104% in 2006. The company has achieved an unprecedented customer base of over 29 Million. Mobilink provides the most extensive network coverage footprint across Pakistan through an integrated technology infrastructure in more than 5,000 cities, towns, villages, and countless remote destinations, including international roaming in 127 countries through 300 partner operators. The company directly employs over 4,000 people and has the largest distribution network with 200,000 outlets across Pakistan. Mobilink’s corporate social responsibility program contributes significantly in key areas of health, education, social uplift and cultural development causes in Pakistan. The company is the official cellular service of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Mobilink is the only corporate in Pakistan to issue a ’high-yield’ bond worth US$ 250 million in the International Market and has contributed to a positive image of the country as a secure destination for business activity.

About Motorola
Motorola is known around the world for innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications. Inspired by our vision of seamless mobility, the people of Motorola are committed to helping you connect simply and seamlessly to the people, information, and entertainment that you want and need. We do this by designing and delivering “must have” products, “must do” experiences and powerful networks -- along with a full complement of support services. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $42.8 billion in 2006. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit www.motorola.com.



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