This is the first end-to-end mutlimedia message service, or MMS, solution supplied by Nokia in Sub-Saharan africa, as well as Nokia's first network deal with a south african operator, Nokia said.

Under the agreement, Nokia said it will provide the Nokia Multimedia Messaging Service Center (MMSC), Nokia Application Gateway, Nokia Profile Server, Nokia Terminal Management Server, and the Nokia WAP gateway.

In addition, the company said it will provide care services for deployment, including emergency support, help desk, software maintenance, and training, as well as system integration to Cell C's IT network.

The system is already being delivered and will be operational at the first of December, Nokia said.

"Multimedia messaging is a key part of our business model for the future," said Talaat Laham, chief executive officer of Cell C.

Commercial MMS services includes person-to-person MMS, which is a greatly enriched version of SMS with the capability of sending photographs, pictures and voice or sounds combined with text messages, Nokia said.

Nokia said it has among the wireless industry's most extensive track record in MMS with over 60 public references to date and an ever-growing number of launched systems.