InterDigital Inc (IDCC)

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DJ Partner To Announce 3G Investment Within 2 Weeks -Report

JERUSALEM (Dow Jones)--Mobile operator Partner Communications Co. (PTNR) will announce within two weeks plans to start investing this year in a 3G network, TheMarker.com financial news service reported Monday in an unsourced report.
Nortel or Ericsson equipment will build the network, the report said. Unidentified market sources were cited as saying that Partner's major shareholder, Hutchison Whampoa, prefers Ericsson, even though Nortel has offered lower prices in an effort to win a bigger network deal from Hutchison.
Partner has allocated 350 million shekels ($1=ILS4.3920) this year for investment in a 3G network, TheMarker said.
Nortel and Ericcson refused to comment on the report, according to the news service. Partner said an announcement would be issued after a vendor is chosen.
Partner reckons that if it starts deploying a 3G network this year, that wouldn't preclude a joint network in the future with Israel's other two leading mobile operators, Cellcom Israel Ltd. and Pele-Phone Communications Ltd., TheMarker said.
-By Amy Teibel, Dow Jones Newswires; 972-2-537-6985; [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires
07-28-03 0855ET