At a landmark 3G event in Helsinki, Finland, Nokia and Sonera demonstrated the evolution of mobile communications towards increasingly advanced 3G mobile services and devices. Both companies also reinforced their commitment to the development of interoperable mobile multimedia services and technologies. The companies further reaffirmed their frontrunner position by exhibiting live demonstrations of advanced Sonera services using the Nokia 6650 - the world’s first 3GPP-compliant dual-mode WCDMA/GSM terminal, also introduced today.

The practical and easy-to-use mobile Sonera services demonstrated to media representatives from around the globe at Kiasma, the Helsinki Museum of Contemporary Art, are also the first to use the Nokia 6650 in a live WCDMA network environment, marking an important milestone in the progress of 3G. The wide range of advanced services introduced today blend picture messaging, video clips, games and e-mail into a rich service offering. These advanced services can be delivered seamlessly using both GSM/GPRS and WCDMA evolution phases of current mobile communications technologies.

The development of next-generation mobile terminals such as the Nokia 6650, combined with attractive service development, will further accelerate the take-off of new advanced 3G mobile services. Openness and interoperability will meanwhile result in the seamless use of services across networks and borders, enhancing user experience and volume usage.Senior representatives of Nokia and Sonera speaking at Kiasma outlined how they see 3G services developing in the coming months.

“The transition of services between 2G and 3G ecosystems will be an evolutionary one, with the ultimate goal of total transparency between different technologies to bring a seamless user experience,” says Harri Koponen, CEO, Sonera. “The successful introduction and adoption of these new mobile services combining both visualization and user-friendliness are based on honoring true customer need and, thus, are suitable for everyday life.”