NII Holdings Announces Launch of Push-to-Talk Services on W-CDMA Network in Peru

RESTON, Va., Sept. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NII Holdings, Inc. [NASDAQ: NIHD], a provider of differentiated mobile communications services under the Nextel brand in Latin America, announced today that its operating subsidiary, Nextel Peru, has launched Push-to-Talk (PTT) services on its new W-CDMA network in Peru. The new PTT services are tightly integrated with the broadband data services already available on the network and deliver an instant PTT experience that meets the expectations of Nextel Peru's customers for best in class instant communications. This is a major milestone for NII and is a key component in the company's strategy to pursue profitable growth across its markets by bringing new and innovative service offerings to its customers.  

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"The launch of our PTT services on our new W-CDMA network is a major technical achievement and the first time that a truly high performance PTT solution has been delivered over a commercial HSPA-enabled network," said Alan Strauss, executive vice president and chief technology officer for NII. "Our PTT service is the primary mode of instant communication for millions of customers in Latin America, and the launch of this service integrated with the high-speed data capabilities of our next generation network provides our customers with a unique set of services that meet their voice and data needs," he added.  

"We are excited about the launch of our next generation PTT services in Peru because it enables us to offer our customers a seamless, high performance PTT experience paired with a wide range of unique new capabilities and features," said Robert Ewald, vice president of product management of NII. "As we deploy our next generation networks across our markets, we continue our commitment to delivering differentiated high quality wireless products and services that meet the needs of our large and growing customer base," he added.  

The addition of the new PTT service, combined with the capabilities of the new W-CDMA network, positions Nextel Peru to offer customers several unique value-added features including:

• Direct Connect high performance PTT service that allows users to instantly connect to each other at the push of a button;
• high speed Internet browsing including the ability to use the phone as a modem;
• group calling capabilities to other PTT users on the 3G network;
• PTT and group call alert notifications that notify users that  someone is trying to reach them, including when they are on another call; and
• the ability to seamlessly connect to voice and PTT customers on Nextel Peru's iDEN® network.

The U3220 from Huawei, the handset that is being used to support the next generation PTT service launch, is the first of several PTT enabled devices the company plans to launch over the next few months. The U3220 includes PTT, high speed internet access, a 2.4" high resolution screen, a 3.2 MP autofocus camera, video camera, music player supporting MP3 and MP4, FM Radio, Bluetooth and GPS capabilities, among other features.  Additional devices will range from cost effective low tier feature phones to mid and high tier devices including Android-powered smart-phones. The integration of PTT with broadband capabilities will enable customers to utilize the latest in business and consumer applications, such as business productivity solutions, multimedia and social media services, as well as advanced 'Push-to' capabilities.

The launch of 3G PTT and high speed data services on a single device is a result of the combined efforts of NII and our strategic partners Huawei and Qualcomm Incorporated, the supplier of the QChat® platform that powers the 3G PTT service.

About NII Holdings, Inc.

NII Holdings, Inc., a publicly held company based in Reston, Va., is a differentiated provider of mobile communications for business and high value customers in Latin America. NII Holdings has operations in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Peru and Chile, offering a fully integrated wireless communications tool with digital cellular voice services, data services, wireless Internet access and Nextel Direct Connect® and International Direct Connect(SM), a digital two-way radio feature. NII Holdings, a Fortune 500 and Barron's 500 company, trades on the NASDAQ market under the symbol NIHD and is a member of the NASDAQ-100 Index. Visit the company's website at www.nii.com

Nextel, the Nextel logo, Nextel Online, Nextel Business Networks and Nextel Direct Connect are trademarks and/or service marks of Nextel Communications, Inc. iDEN is a registered trademark of Motorola.

Visit NII Holding's news room for breaking news and to access our markets' news centers: www.nii.com/newsroom

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading telecom solutions provider. Through continuous customer-centric innovation, we have established end-to-end advantages in telecom networks, applications and software, professional services and devices. With comprehensive strengths in wireline, wireless and IP technologies, Huawei has gained a leading position in the All-IP convergence age. Its products and solutions have been deployed in over 100 countries and have served 45 of the world's top 50 telecom operators, as well as one third of the world's population.

Qualcomm and QChat are registered trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated.

Forward-Looking Statements.  This news release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. securities laws. The statements in this news release regarding the availability and performance of Push- to-Talk and 3G networks and services, as well as other statements that are not historical facts, are forward-looking statements.  Forward-looking statements are estimates and projections reflecting management's judgment based on currently available information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements.  With respect to these forward-looking statements, management has made assumptions regarding, among other things, the availability of applications and compatibility of networks, usability of device features, and the timing of various events, among other things.  Future performance cannot be assured and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. This press release speaks only as of its date, and NII disclaims any duty to update the information herein.

Media Contacts:
NII Holdings, Inc.
1875 Explorer Street, Suite 1000
Reston, VA. 20190
(703) 390-5100
www.nii.com

Investor Relations: Tim Perrott
(703) 390-5113
[email protected]

Media Relations: Claudia Restrepo
(786) 251-7020
[email protected]

SOURCE NII Holdings, Inc.