Nortel wins at U.S. Cellular

Nortel Networks Corp. inked a five-year deal to deliver infrastructure kit for U.S. Cellular’s CDMA network.
U.S. Cellular said it will purchase Nortel’s CDMA switching, base stations and software under terms of the deal, using the technology to deliver voice service as well as Web browsing, e-mail, picture-messaging and other features. The nation’s sixth-largest carrier said Nortel will also provide emergency technical support, performance management and other services from Nortel’s Global Services portfolio.
Financial details were not disclosed. The deal builds on a longstanding relationship between the two companies.
“We demand a lot from our network, and Nortel’s CDMA technology always delivers,” said Michael Irizarry, U.S. Cellular’s CTO.
Nortel stock has slumped in recent weeks but shares climbed 29 cents, or more than 4%, following news of the U.S. Cellular deal.