11th July 2005 - Kuwaiti mobile operator Wataniya Telecom has launched its W-Charger Service built on the Nokia Connect eRefill platform in Kuwait. The service allows Wataniya customers to top up their mobile credit balances by transferring credits from another mobile.

Nokia has supplied Wataniya the Nokia Connect eRefill solution, which increases the availability and convenience of prepaid recharging for subscribers and substantially reduces the costs of prepaid process compared to traditional voucher-based solutions. This end-to-end solution also includes comprehensive system integration and related services.

"Through our cooperation with Nokia we are able to deliver novel solutions to our subscribers that make mobile communications easier and more affordable," says Timo Everi, Director, Sales & Marketing, Wataniya Telecom. "We believe that SMS-based solutions for selling prepaid credits and transferring credits within family will enjoy success in the Kuwaiti market."

Wataniya's W-Charger Service makes use of two functionalities of the Nokia Connect eRefill platform: SMS Recharge, the cost-effective method of recharging prepaid accounts via SMS at an airtime reseller, and BalanceTransfer, a new service allowing a prepaid subscriber to transfer money from his own to another user's prepaid account. Wataniya has already appointed a reseller channel to make prepaid recharging via SMS readily available. Because the prepaid recharging process supported by Nokia Connect eRefill platform is very cost-effective, Watanyia can introduce the benefits of micro prepaid - small prepaid top-up values - to its subscribers, further increasing convenience and affordability of mobile services.

"We are delighted to be extending our cooperation with Wataniya and to be delivering them innovative end-to-end solutions that help them to grow further in the prepaid subscriber segment," says Jari Laiho, Account Manager, Wataniya Customer Account Team, Networks, Nokia.

"Nokia is very committed to the Middle East region in general and to Kuwait in particular. We are proud to support Wataniya in their striving to offer service innovations to their mobile subscribers," says Adel Hattab, Director, Mobile Entry Solutions, Networks, Nokia.

Nokia and Wataniya started cooperation on the infrastructure side earlier this year. In May Nokia announced it will supply Wataniya a wide variety of products and technologies to enhance the operator's 2G and 3G networks and to enable Wataniya to offer advanced mobile services to its subscribers.


About Wataniya
Launched in December 1999, Wataniya Telecom has been a driving force in increasing the mobile communications market penetration in Kuwait to over 80 percent of the population. With operations in Kuwait, Iraq, Tunisia and Algeria, Wataniya Telecom is actively expanding its presence within the MENA (Middle East North Africa) region. Serving over 3.5 million customers in its operations, Wataniya Telecom has built its success on a customer focused strategy based on the philosophy that everything the company does must bring it closer to its customers. The company provides a wide range of leading edge wireless voice and data services delivered with high quality and designed to meet customer requirements.

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