LEUVEN – Thursday December 22, 2005 – Option (Euronext: OPTI, OTC: OPNVY), the wireless technology company, and Nortel [NYSE/TSX: NT] have completed the industry’s first successful demonstration of live HSDPA data card calls reaching a wireless transmission rate of 3.6Mbps – faster than the majority of current broadband connections. The test calls were carried out on commercial HSDPA network equipment at Nortel’s research campus in Châteaufort, France.
The series of calls are the first data card calls to demonstrate downlink speed of 3.6 Mbps, at HSDPA category 6 using 16 QAM modulations. A laptop fitted with an Option 3.6 HSDPA data card based on QUALCOMM core MSM 6280 technology and commercial HSDPA network equipment from Nortel were used to achieve the download speeds.
The calls included successful ‘real-world’ tests with a laptop placed in a moving vehicle to illustrate the suitability of mobile wireless broadband for high quality, live TV, High Definition video on demand, MP3 download as well as new applications for the mobile workforce.
“The results of these data card trials mark a world first for Option and demonstrate our leadership position in the development and realization of mobile broadband wireless data solutions,” Jan Callewaert, chief executive officer, Option. “Achieving this world first underscores the strong relationships that we have with leading chipset manufacturers and infrastructure providers — Qualcomm and Nortel,– and reinforces our continued commitment to bring the most advanced 3G/HSDPA technology solutions to market.”
“Nortel is committed to the thorough testing and demonstration of viable HSDPA end-user equipment with vendors such as Option to help provide a faster time to market of high speed broadband wireless services,” said Jean-Luc Jezouin, vice-president, GSM/UMTS products, Nortel. “Broadband technologies like HSDPA can only help operators realize the value of their existing Nortel UMTS infrastructure investments if viable end user equipment is available in the market.”
Option announced its first HSDPA demonstrations early this year at CeBIT 2005 (Hanover, March 2005) and CTIA Wireless (New-Orleans, March 2005) tradeshows. In September 2005 the company announced its worldwide unique HSDPA-Ready concept, which means that whenever the network operator decides to launch HSDPA services in its territory, a simple firmware upgrade, available via the operator’s website, is sufficient to release the power of HSDPA on the data card. Option’s GlobeTrotter 3G/EDGE and the GlobeTrotter FUSION+, both “HSDPA-Ready”, are currently shipped in volumes to network operators.
Nortel achieved the industry’s first HSDPA mobile call in January 2005. Nortel completed the first live test calls using a commercial handset solution for HSDPA in March 2005. In June 2005, Nortel became the first wireless network supplier to complete the TL9000 registration standard for Quality Management System Requirements and Measurements across its HSDPA, UMTS and GSM wireless infrastructure solutions.
Nortel has worked with a number of wireless operators on HSDPA trials and deployments in 2005, including Edge wireless in the US, SKT and KTF in Korea, SOFTBANK Group’s BB Mobile in Japan, O2, Orange (at 3GSM World Congress 2005 in Cannes, France), Vodafone (at CeBIT 2005 in Hanover, Germany), Partner Communications in Israel, and Mobilkom Austria. HSDPA categories for end-user equipment are defined by the HSDPA 3GPP specification.
About Option
Option NV (www.option.com ), the wireless technology company, is a leading innovator in the design, development and manufacture of 3G WCDMA (HSDPA and UMTS), EDGE, GPRS, GSM and WLAN technology products for wireless connectivity solutions. Option has built up an enviable reputation for creating exciting products that enhance the performance and functionality of wireless communications. Option’s headquarters are in Leuven, Belgium. The company has Research & Development in Leuven, a Software and Applications development centre in Adelsried (Germany), a Wireless Router development centre in Stockholm (Sweden) and an ISO 9002 production engineering and logistics facility in Cork, Ireland.
About Nortel
Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that enhance the human experience, ignite and power global commerce, and secure and protect the world’s most critical information. Serving both service provider and enterprise customers, Nortel delivers innovative technology solutions encompassing end-to-end broadband, Voice over IP, multimedia services and applications, and wireless broadband designed to help people solve the world’s greatest challenges. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel.com/news.
For more information please contact:
Douglas Ros, VP Business Development & Marketing Option
Tel +32 (0)16 317 411
E-mail: d.ros@option.com
Frederic Convent, CFO Option
Tel + 32 (0) 16 317 411
E-mail: investor@option.com
Ben Roome
+44 1628 433 113
benroome@nortel.com