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AT&T Wireless today announced agreements with Nortel Networks and Ericsson to deploy what is expected to be the first commercial W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple band Access) wireless network in North America. The W-CDMA network can support high speed VPN access, audio and video applications, as well as advanced location-based and m-Commerce features.

In December 2002, AT&T Wireless and DoCoMo announced an agreement to work together to launch four U.S. markets using W-CDMA by the end of 2004. The announced 3G build and commercial launch of service in these markets will complement AT&T Wireless' national high speed EDGE network (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution).

"These agreements position us to meet our DoCoMo commitments on time and on budget," said Eric Updyke, Vice President - 3G Program Management. "Our deployment of W-CDMA service will complement our nationwide EDGE deployment, further differentiating AT&T Wireless as the industry leader in bringing a new generation of mobile multimedia services to customers.

"Today's announcement represents a significant milestone in our drive to deploy W-CDMA in four markets by the end of 2004," said Updyke. "The selection of two proven network providers adds flexibility and horsepower to the project, and brings a tremendous amount of intellectual capital to bear against our goal. The combined strength of Ericsson, Nortel Networks, and AT&T Wireless represents a powerful combination that we're confident will achieve our goals."

The W-CDMA networks will allow AT&T Wireless to significantly increase subscriber capacity, reduce networking costs and increase data speeds required for delivering wireless broadband 3G services to consumers and enterprise customers.

"Since Ericsson and AT&T Wireless deployed the world's first 1900 MHz UMTS demo system in Dallas last December, we have learned a lot about what it will take to deliver commercial grade third-generation services in the United States," said Toby Seay, Executive Vice President and General Manager for Ericsson Inc.'s AT&T Wireless customer team. "We now look forward to applying that knowledge together to help AT&T Wireless provide its customers true 3G services on schedule."

The W-CDMA radio equipment will operate on the 1900 MHz spectrum and use the same core equipment AT&T Wireless currently employs to support advanced voice and data services through GPRS and EDGE radio technologies. The deployments will also support an all IP-based network architecture, significantly streamlining network functions.