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Alcatel's Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) Enhances MetroPCS CDMA Service Portfolio in the US

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=119237

PARIS, March 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced an agreement with MetroPCS, Inc. to provide the Alcatel Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS) product suite, enabling MetroPCS customers access to multimedia messaging via wireless devices. This is the first MMS contract with a CDMA communications network operator for Alcatel in the U.S.

The Alcatel MMS suite is well adapted to address the needs of mobile service providers for flexible and easy to implement MMS infrastructure. Thanks to high levels of openness and interoperability it can bring additional message capacity to service providers by seamlessly integrating with existing messaging services. Service providers also benefit from smooth integration and interface with existing Wireless Application Protocol/Push Proxy Gateway, e-mail servers and SMS-C systems, among others . Additionally, the Alcatel MMS suite enables sophisticated billing policies that support tiered pricing models based on size and type of content.

The unique Proxy Platform software architecture used by the Alcatel MMS suite guarantees high performance, ease of installation and maximum scalability, which reduces the total cost of ownership for mobile service providers. Recently, during the 3GSM World Congress in France, the powerful Alcatel MMS platform set a new industry record with 150 MMS per second at a sustained rate with the complete MMS cycle processed on a Linux-powered Intel configuration, which represents more than half a million MMS processed per hour. With the ability to deliver MMS at such a high rate, MetroPCS can achieve new revenue generation opportunities, while providing new and exciting services for customers.

"MetroPCS is committed to offering simple and affordable wireless service to consumers. Adding Alcatel's MMS suite to our network allows us to continue to offer our customers the most advanced wireless options," said MetroPCS President and CEO Roger Linquist.

"MetroPCS is a progressive and customer-focused company on the rise," said Matthieu Cornillault, vice president of Alcatel's Mobile Solutions activities for North America. "With more multimedia capable wireless phones being sold than ever before, it is significant that MetroPCS delivers the best and latest technology to their customers. Alcatel's well-proven MMS suite allows for additional revenue generation services while attending to consumers' growing desire for innovative and more personalized ways to communicate with peers."

About MetroPCS Inc.

Dallas-based MetroPCS is a provider of wireless communications services with a total of 14 PCS licenses in the greater Miami, San Francisco, Atlanta and Sacramento metropolitan areas. MetroPCS offers customers flat rate plans with unlimited anytime local and long-distance minutes with no contract. The company is among the first wireless operators to deploy an all-digital network based on third-generation infrastructure and handsets. For more information, www.metropcs.com

About Alcatel

Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or to their employees. Alcatel leverages its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services to bring value to its customers in the framework of a broadband world. With sales of Euro 16.5 billion in 2002, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, http://www.alcatel.com


Distributed by PR Newswire on behalf of Alcatel