Nokia edges ahead in Thailand

and

's second largest mobile operator,

(DTAC), have extended their frame agreement to expand DTAC's GSM/GPRS/EDGE network in

. The new two-year agreement is valued at approximately $212 million.

Under the agreement Nokia delivers a number of its EDGE (Enhanced Data GSM Environment) -enabled UltraSite base stations as well as the Nokia NetAct network and services management system.

The expansion will enable DTAC to increase its network coverage and capacity nationwide in Thailand and to increase and expand its EDGE coverage in major cities. Deliveries are ongoing and will be completed by the end of the year.

"We strongly believe there are four to five million new subscribers in 2005 who want to enhance their lives through both basic and innovative mobile services,” said Vichai Bencharongkul, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Total Access Communication. “With radio solutions and technologies supplied by Nokia, DTAC will be able to enhance our coverage further and provide our best network quality and latest applications and services to our subscribers.”

Nokia has been in collaboration with DTAC since the early 1990s and has been its sole network supplier since October 2003. DTAC currently has over eight million subscribers, representing a 30-per-cent share of the market. The company was the first operator in

to deploy high-speed GPRS and EGDE technologies on its network to accommodate increasing demand of data services.