Orange Slovensko Provides Advanced Wireless Data Services Powered by N

    Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

    PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 24, 2005--Orange Slovensko has launched a high data rate business and consumer service in Slovakia based on EDGE (Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution) technology from Nortel (NYSE:NT)(TSX:NT). The service is positioned by Orange Slovensko as an alternative to fixed broadband Internet access solutions.
    Compared to GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EDGE offers on average up to three times the data throughput, a rate comparable to fixed DSL (digital subscriber line) connection speeds.
    The first of the EDGE services from Orange Slovensko was launched in December 2004 for its corporate customers, aimed at enhancing the company's existing corporate VPN (virtual private network) offer based on the concept of the mobile office. Following this successful service launch, Orange Slovensko announced a mass market consumer EDGE service in January 2005.
    "Working with Nortel, we are taking a big step in enhancing the lives of our Slovakian customers to get fast access to the Internet and broadband data applications," said Dana Prekopova, chief technology officer, Orange Slovensko. "Nortel's technology is extremely reliable. It provides an excellent evolution to our network and it is an extremely competitive offering."
    "Once we had made a decision to work with Nortel, they backed up our choice with excellent service, taking only two weeks to implement EDGE on our network, rapidly enabling us to offer services to our customers," Prekopova said.
    Nortel's EDGE solution is designed to deliver the capacity and performance necessary to offer reliable high-speed Internet access with excellent service quality. The EDGE solution shares radio spectrum with Orange Slovensko's existing Nortel GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and GPRS services, allowing for a highly flexible implementation that minimises network impact and costs.
    Orange Slovensko's GSM and GPRS network is based on Nortel technology and covers 99.1 percent of the population and 86.4 percent of the geography of Slovakia. The overall rollout of Nortel EDGE technology has so far covered about one-third of this existing network. Further EDGE rollout is expected to take place in stages based on market demand for EDGE services.
    Nortel demonstrated high speed broadband wireless data technology with Orange at 3GSM World Congress 2005, February 14-17 in Cannes.
    Nortel has designed, installed and launched more than 300 wireless networks in over 70 countries. Nortel was the industry's first supplier with wireless networks operating in all advanced radio technologies (GSM/GPRS/EDGE, CDMA2000 1X and 1xEV-DO, UMTS and WLAN), and is the only end-to-end provider of all next generation wireless solutions.

    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.

    Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events.
    Factors which could cause results or events to differ from current expectations include, among other things: the outcome of regulatory and criminal investigations and civil litigation actions related to Nortel's restatements and the impact any resulting legal judgments, settlements, penalties and expenses could have on Nortel's results of operations, financial condition and liquidity; the findings of Nortel's independent review and implementation of recommended remedial measures; the outcome of the independent review with respect to revenues for specific identified transactions, which review will have a particular emphasis on the underlying conduct that led to the initial recognition of these revenues; the restatement or revisions of Nortel's previously announced or filed financial results and resulting negative publicity; the existence of material weaknesses in Nortel's internal controls over financial reporting; the impact of Nortel's and NNL's failure to timely file their financial statements and related periodic reports, including breach of its support facility and public debt obligations and Nortel's inability to access its shelf registration statement filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"); ongoing SEC reviews, which may result in changes to our public filings; the potential delisting or suspension of Nortel's and NNL's publicly traded securities; the impact of management changes, including the termination for cause of Nortel's former CEO, CFO and Controller in April 2004; the sufficiency of Nortel's restructuring activities, including the work plan announced on August 19, 2004 as updated on September 30, 2004, including the potential for higher actual costs to be incurred in connection with restructuring actions compared to the estimated costs of such actions;
    cautious or reduced spending by Nortel's customers; fluctuations in Nortel's operating results and general industry, economic and market conditions and growth rates; fluctuations in Nortel's cash flow, level of outstanding debt and current debt ratings; Nortel's ability to recruit and retain qualified employees; the use of cash collateral to support Nortel's normal course business activities; the dependence on Nortel's subsidiaries for funding; the impact of Nortel's defined benefit plans and deferred tax assets on results of operations and Nortel's cash flow; the adverse resolution of class actions, litigation in the ordinary course of business, intellectual property disputes and similar matters; Nortel's dependence on new product development and its ability to predict market demand for particular products; Nortel's ability to integrate the operations and technologies of acquired businesses in an effective manner; the impact of rapid technological and market change; the impact of price and product competition; barriers to international growth and global economic conditions, particularly in emerging markets and including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations; the impact of rationalization in the telecommunications industry; changes in regulation of the Internet; the impact of the credit risks of Nortel's customers and the impact of customer financing and commitments; stock market volatility generally and as a result of acceleration of the settlement date or early settlement, which is currently not available, of Nortel's forward purchase contracts; the impact of Nortel's supply and outsourcing contracts that contain delivery and installation provisions, which, if not met, could result in the payment of substantial penalties or liquidated damages; and the future success of Nortel's strategic alliances.
    For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, see the most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by Nortel with the SEC. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Nortel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Nortel, the Nortel logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel Networks.

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CONTACT: Nortel Ben Roome, +44 1628 43 3113 email: benroome@nortel.com or Jay Barta, 972-685-2381 email: jbarta@nortel.com

KEYWORD: TEXAS FRANCE INTERNATIONAL EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TELECOMMUNICATIONS SOFTWARE NETWORKING HARDWARE COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS PRODUCT MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: Nortel

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