Movistar and Lucent Technologies Launch Mobile Broadband Network for Third Generation Applications in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela, Dec. 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Movistar, a leading mobile network operator in Venezuela, and Lucent Technologies announced today the commercial launch of Movistar's third-generation (3G) CDMA2000(R) 1xEV-DO network to serve the country's 26 main cities. The Lucent supplied 3G network will allow Movistar to provide subscribers to its Play 3G and Banda Ancha EVDO Movistar services with new high-speed mobile data applications such as Virtual Private Networks to create a mobile office environment, high quality video on demand, and other broadband services at speeds of up to 2.4 Megabits per second (Mbps).

The new "Interactivo Play 3G" service allows subscribers to download and see multimedia and entertainment content such as movie trailers, digital images and songs, and participate in third dimension video games. In addition, this service will allow corporate users to access virtual office applications and access all their corporate LAN services when they are outside the office.

"The technology is transforming the lifestyle, communications and entertainment for our customers, thanks to the innovative services that are being offered," said Luis Malvido, president, Telefonica Moviles in Venezuela, during an event held last night to launch the service. "Two years ago we started with the Interactive service adding multimedia content such as ring tones, wallpapers, and today Interactivo sells more than 300,000 units of content monthly, which means we sell more music that any record company on the continent.

"Now with Interactivo Play 3G, we fully enter the video space, which will provide a new experience with multiple possibilities for our customers," Malvido continued. "We also plan on continuing our work with the content industry. We now have 15 local companies -- with Venezuelan engineers that generate more than 300 direct jobs -- that are creating all the communications and entertainment applications for our customers."

Movistar offers 3G mobile broadband services to corporate and residential users, including email, Internet access, and remote monitoring capabilities through video streaming. Through Virtual Private Networks connections, corporate users will be able to access Movistar's high-speed data network as if it was an extension of their corporate local area network or intranet, by using a laptop 1xEV-DO card, or connect directly using 3G mobile phones or PDAs, and work as if they were in their offices, enjoying the same speed, security, authentication and information protection.

Lucent upgraded Movistar's existing Lucent-supplied base stations and mobile switching center (MSC) to support CDMA2000 1xEV-DO technology.

"This new agreement reinforces the great relationship we have had with Movistar for years now," said Jaime Serrano, Lucent Technologies Sales Vice President for Telefonica. "We are very excited with this project to expand the coverage of Movistar's 1xEV-DO network, and we look forward to helping them identify and stimulate market demand for new services through the Lucent Market Advantage Program."

"Lucent's and Movistar's teams have worked very hard to launch these innovative services that keeps Movistar at the forefront of communications," said Javier Rey, Lucent's regional sales director in charge of the Movistar account in Venezuela. "We will continue to work them in expanding the coverage of the new network and the roll out of wireless broadband services in Venezuela."

Lucent's Network Solutions Group is dedicated to helping wireline, mobile and converged service providers capture the market opportunities being created by the growing demand for blended lifestyle services. A global leader in the development of commercial 3G spread-spectrum solutions, Lucent's Network Solutions Group has deployed CDMA2000, CDMA450, and W-CDMA/UMTS networks with more than 35 customers on the continents of North and South America, Asia, Europe and in the Australia/New Zealand region. Lucent has deployed more than 140,000 spread-spectrum base stations for mobile operators worldwide, of which 90,000 are already supporting 3G services.

About Movistar Venezuela

Movistar, an operating company of Telefonica Moviles, is the market leader in cellular telephony in Venezuela, where it has more than 5.3 million customers (by the end of September 2005) and a vanguard position in the launching of innovative products and services.

About Lucent Technologies

Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services and software that drive next-generation communications networks. Backed by Bell Labs research and development, Lucent uses its strengths in mobility, optical, software, data and voice networking technologies, as well as services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for its customers, while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their networks. Lucent's customer base includes communications service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide. For more information on Lucent Technologies, which has headquarters in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, visit http://www.lucent.com/.

CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association.