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An agreement has now been signed with Vodafone - Panafon Greek Telecommunications Company S.A. (Vodafone Greece) for the initial phase of UMTS deployment.

As one of the two suppliers, Ericsson will equip the Greek subsidiary of the Vodafone Group with UMTS core network technology and will provide engineering and consultancy services. Ericsson will begin setting up the network in Greece in the third quarter of 2003.

Ericsson is supplying and installing all the infrastructure components for the core network and the accompanying network management system. The UMTS network should be ready by end 2003.

"The many years of cooperation with Ericsson will be expanded now to cover the UMTS core network in Greece. Through this we will soon be able to offer our customers in Greece innovative third-generation mobile services," said George Koronias, CEO Vodafone Greece.

"This order continues our UMTS success story. We are pleased that Vodafone has now also opted for our powerful third-generation mobile solutions in the interesting Greek mobile telecommunications market," said Bill Zikou, President Market Unit South East Europe of Ericsson.