Unicom Selects UTStarcom's MovingMedia® 2000 All-IP CDMA Solution for New Digital Cellular Network in Rural Alaska
ALAMEDA, Calif., Dec 19, 2006 / -- UTStarcom, Inc. (Nasdaq: UTSI), a global leader in IP-based, end-to-end networking solutions and services, today announced a contract with Unicom Inc., a communications carrier and a wholly owned subsidiary of United Companies, Inc., to deploy UTStarcom's MovingMedia® 2000 all-IP CDMA2000 network solution to serve as the cornerstone of Unicom's new digital cellular network in rural Alaska.
"We believe UTStarcom's MovingMedia 2000 technology will enable us to upgrade our existing analog cellular system to full digital capability and extend our service to reach subscribers in some of the most remote regions of the world," said Steve Hamlen, president at Unicom, Inc. "We considered a number of vendors for this project and UTStarcom's ability to provide the complete, end-to-end network system and the technology's unique ability to work with any transmission medium made it the ideal solution for our challenging deployment scenario. Unicom looks forward to deploying UTStarcom's CDMA platform throughout rural Alaska including communities like Gambell on Saint Lawrence Island some 50 miles from Siberia."
As planned, the initial deployment phase of Unicom's new digital cellular network will provide wireless voice and broadband data services in Bethel and the Yukon Kuskokwim Delta area of Alaska. The network's main infrastructure will be located in Bethel and will be connected by either satellite or microwave transmission to the outlying communities.
"This deployment with Unicom in rural Alaska demonstrates the incredible flexibility and durability of our MovingMedia 2000 all-IP CDMA platform," said Jack Mar, president of the CDMA division at UTStarcom, Inc. "Whether its deployed to reach subscribers in remote regions of India, Bangladesh and Angola, aboard commercial airplanes and nautical vessels in North America, or in the wake of emergency and disaster relief scenarios such as Hurricane Katrina, we believe UTStarcom's MovingMedia 2000 is the best solution on the market today to quickly and efficiently deploy wireless CDMA voice and data services."
About MovingMedia® 2000
As a leading vendor of wireless infrastructure technology, UTStarcom's MovingMedia 2000 aims to provide wireless operators with a complete, all-IP solution to reap the multiple advantages of 3G networks. The solution is designed to offer a smooth migration path for CDMA2000-based providers, allowing them to utilize emerging technologies such as CDMA2000 1XEV-DO RevA as they become available. Moreover, all solution components are standards-based, designed to provide complete interoperability with other standards-based products and allowing wireless operators to preserve their existing equipment investment.
The MovingMedia 2000 solution leverages market-proven technologies and UTStarcom's extensive experience in building IP equipment and deploying IP networks. The MovingMedia 2000 product suite utilizes UTStarcom's distributed softswitch architecture for switching, transport, signaling, and call control. The MovingMedia 2000 product line includes a comprehensive suite of RF network elements, including base stations (BTS) and base station controllers (BSC), wireless softswitch components, and core data network components, including the packet data server node (PDSN) and home agent (HA).
About Unicom
Unicom is an Alaska native owned telecommunications carrier. Unicom, and its affiliate, United Utilities, provide local exchange, long distance, and wireless telecommunication services to 70 rural Alaskan communities that cover an area of over 150,000 square miles.
About UTStarcom, Inc.
UTStarcom is a global leader in IP-based, end-to-end networking solutions and international service and support. The company sells its broadband, wireless, and handset solutions to operators in both emerging and established telecommunications markets around the world. UTStarcom enables its customers to rapidly deploy revenue-generating access services using their existing infrastructure, while providing a migration path to cost-efficient, end-to-end IP networks. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Alameda, California, the company has research and design operations in the United States, Canada, China, Korea and India. UTStarcom is a FORTUNE 1000 company.
For more information about UTStarcom, visit the company's Web site at www.utstar.com .
SOURCE UTStarcom, Inc.
Andy Tennille, Senior Manager, Public Relations of UTStarcom, Inc., +1-510-814-4421, or andy.tennille@utstar.com
http://www.utstar.com/
