IDEA Cellular chooses Nokia Intelligent Content Delivery to become India’s 1st operator to charge differentially for data services

November 28, 2005, Espoo, Finland - IDEA Cellular, a leading mobile operator in India, and Nokia, the world leader in mobile communications, have launched Nokia’s Intelligent Content Delivery System (ICD) solution on all IDEA’s mobile networks across India. The Nokia ICD solution enhances IDEA’s mobile packet core network capabilities and enables it to connect both prepaid and post-paid subscribers to data services and charge them according to the value of traffic and content. This makes IDEA India’s first and only operator to charge differentially for data services, thereby increasing its revenue streams.

Nokia ICD solution allows IDEA to provide data services, such as downloadable ringtones, music, games, browsing, streaming, MMS and content based SMS, to both prepaid and post-paid customers and charge for them differentially.

“IDEA has always been at the forefront of providing innovative data services to its customers by leveraging the latest technologies. We have taken another significant step in that direction by charging online for data services for our prepaid customers. Data services usage is on the rise and it was important to not only extend data services to prepaid customers but also charge customers differentially depending on the importance of the service for them,” said Vikram Mehmi, CEO, IDEA Cellular. “Nokia’s technology combined with strong systems integration capabilities made Nokia the natural choice as we enhance our service machinery to support our increasing data services offering.”

Systems integration of the Nokia solution to IDEA’s existing network environment (Multivendor Integration) and specific customization are key part of the agreement. In addition, Nokia provides IDEA with a comprehensive set of services, including delivery services, Help Desk, software maintenance and emergency support.

“The Nokia ICD solution deployment for IDEA is the first of its kind in the Indian telecom market, and is a strategic step in the Nokia - IDEA relationship. This is the first deployment of the Nokia ICD solution in India and Nokia is the sole supplier of such a solution for IDEA across all its networks,” said Ashish Chowdhary, Country Head, Networks, Nokia India. “The Nokia ICD solution will enable IDEA to drive greater revenues from its data services offering to its customers.”

The Nokia ICD solution is a network based centralized service and content control system, which enables operators to analyze, charge and manage services in a flexible manner. The Nokia ICD solution helps the operator provide highly segmented services for different subscriber groups, providing advanced tools for service and subscription profiling and management, as well as for charging and access differentiation. All services can be charged either offline as postpaid or online from the user’s prepaid account. Nokia has over 48 references for the Nokia Intelligent Content Delivery.

About IDEA Cellular
As India’s leading GSM Mobile Services operator, IDEA Cellular has licenses to operate in 11 circles. With a customer base of over 6 million, IDEA Cellular has operations in New Delhi, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Uttaranchal, Haryana, UP- West and Kerala. IDEA Cellular’s footprint currently covers approximately 45% of India’s population and over 50% of the potential telecom-market.

Customer Service and Innovation are the drivers of this Cellular Brand. With GPRS currently available on all its’ networks, for both pre and post paid customers, IDEA Cellular is the first company to commercially launch next generation EDGE technology (a 3G technology) for its Delhi circle.

As a leader in Value Added Services, Innovation is central to IDEA’s VAS Factory. It is the first cellular company to launch music messaging with ’Cellular Jockey’, ’Global SMS’ in over 540 networks across all technology platforms, a voice portal with ’Say IDEA’. A frontrunner in introducing revolutionary tariff plans, offering maximum savings to its customers, IDEA Cellular has the distinction of offering the most customer friendly and competitive Pre Paid offerings, for the first time in India, with ’Eco Talk’, ’Flexi-charge’ and other segmented offerings. The most recent offering - ’Lifetime Idea’ is the first and only loyalty program, for pre paid customers, introduced by a Cellular brand and Pay Easy which is bill payment through the effective use of the pre-paid channel. IDEA is the only operator in the world to launch this service. Idea is the only cellular operator who has launched a complete suite of Mobile Email services.

Idea has many milestones to its credit, mainly - scoring the highest percentage in Metros and Circle B & C in Customer Satisfaction and the highest percentage in Value Added Service and Overall Sales satisfaction as per the Voice and Data - Customer Satisfaction Survey in December 04. The largest M&A deal in India INC, through its acquisition of Escotel in 2004 and its Rs. 5000 crore financial closure, both being largest ever in the history of Indian telecom.

IDEA Cellular Ltd. is headquartered in Pune.

About Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations. www.nokia.com.

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