MTN South Africa Allies With Qualcomm in Successfully Bolstering Network Performance for Recent Soccer Tournament

SAN DIEGO and JOHANNESBURG, Aug. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) and MTN South Africa announced their successful collaboration in providing fans attending the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ with a quality 3G user experience.  Working with Qualcomm's Engineering Services Group, MTN South Africa tested and verified its 3G network at major stadiums to support soccer enthusiasts as they made calls, sent text messages, browsed the Web, sent e-mails and uploaded photos from the matches.  The collaboration enabled MTN South Africa to boost its wireless coverage and optimize its services for the legions of soccer fans using mobile devices.

"As the first African global sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, MTN was committed to providing its local customers and international visitors with a seamless experience during the 2010 World Cup and proactively identified ways in which this could be done," said Sameer Dave, chief technology officer of MTN South Africa.  "All the fans within the stadium and the communities living and working around that stadium had to experience a world-class, quality and seamless service throughout the event."

During renovations of three soccer stadiums — Soccer City in Johannesburg, Moses Mabida in Durban and Green Point in Cape Town — MTN integrated distributed antenna systems throughout the sites to accommodate increases in voice and data usage.  MTN and Qualcomm worked together to optimize these systems using Qualcomm Engineering Simulation Tools (QUEST), a solution that analyzes the dimensions of wireless networks to deliver optimal coverage and capacity.  The custom-designed technology tools have helped other tier-one operators enhance their mobile capabilities for similar large-scale events, such as the 2010 U.S. football championship in Miami, Florida.

"The growth of 3G-capable smartphones is allowing more people to enjoy wireless data services while attending sporting events," said Dave.  "This trend brings unique network demands in supporting large groups of subscribers in a relatively small geographic area.  Qualcomm's engineering support was instrumental in helping us ensure that spectators received the reliable, high-speed voice and data services they have come to expect from MTN South Africa."

"Mobile subscribers increasingly rely on wireless connectivity to access information and share memorable life events, such as attending one of the world's largest and most celebrated sporting events," said James Munn, vice president of Qualcomm Sub-Sahara Africa.  "We are very pleased to have collaborated with MTN South Africa on such an exciting project.  Through similar collaborations, Qualcomm is helping operators around the world to fortify their mobile networks for the next wave of wireless data services."

About MTN Group

Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a multinational telecommunications group, operating in 21 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.  The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: "MTN".  As at the end of 31 March 2010, MTN recorded 123.5 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia.  The MTN Group is a global sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ and has exclusive mobile content rights for Africa and the Middle East.  Visit www.mtn.com and www.mtnfootball.com.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is the world leader in next-generation mobile technologies.  For 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of wireless communications, connecting people more closely to information, entertainment and each other.  Today, Qualcomm technologies are powering the convergence of mobile communications and consumer electronics, making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible to people everywhere.  For more information, visit Qualcomm around the Web:

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SOURCE Qualcomm Incorporated