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Welcome to the fall edition of theWireless Evolution Insider. Although ithas been a while since your last read ordelete test, I will not try to offer a validreason for the delay…suffice it to saythere have not been enough hours with-out interruption for me to put togetherthe conscious stream of random thoughtsrequired for publication. That said, mygood friend and colleague Mark hasstruck a deal with my new good friendsat Baskerville to let Danny and crew dothe heavy lifting. Baskerville will nowprovide content and various lists for yourreading or deleting pleasure. While weagreed to maintain the somewhat starkformat of the Evolution Insider, Dannyhas spiced it up a bit with some flashesof colour. But rest assured, you will notbe marketed or sold…I retain control ofyour email addresses and reaffirm mypolicy not to use them for anythingexcept to distribute the WirelessEvolution Insider…you have my swornword on this… So with this publicationour partnership with Baskerville begins. Ibelieve it is a true win / win for the tri-partite relationship; Baskerville, the GSMAssociation and most importantly, you.Let me know what you think of the newformat and content. Adjustments canalways be made to provide you with thebestest, freeest GSMwirelessest stuffmoney can’t buy…
The next GSMA Plenary meeting willtake place in Istanbul, Turkey from the14th through the 17th of October hostedby Tel Sim. There will be several impor-tant informational seminars taking place
in Istanbul including the new and recentmembers “getting connected” workshop– benefits of the Global CertificationForum – and an operator data successstory seminar facilitated yours truly. Inaddition, RoamFest II will bring togetheroperators to bilaterally negotiate and / orexecute data and voice roaming agree-ments with their colleagues from aroundthe world. RoamFest I in Rome was ahuge success and this one promises to beeven bigger, with twice as many dele-gates pre-registered with over two weeksyet to go before the big event…let’s hopethe utopian world of data roaming is sig-nificantly advanced by those comingtogether in Istanbul for RoamFest II…ifyou are not registered, you may still beable to get in…hurry though – and forthose unable to attend, visit the GSMAInfoCentre for meeting documents whichwill be available for members to reviewwhile trying to fall asleep at night worry-ing about their stock portfolios. Sort ofcomforting in a bizarre kinda way…andwhen you do, check out the 2003 DraftBusiness Plan for insight into what isplanned for the coming months. Maybenot the greatest novel ever produced, butquite possibly worthy of a nomination forsome sort of literary award…
And finally, some musings of aderanged mind beginning with me ask-ing aloud why GSM devices don’t looklike the “other” technology’s devicescoming out of a certain Asian country bya company that starts with Sam and endswith a song? I just love thosethings…even though I am assured over
contents
News 1-2
Dear John 3
Data
GPRS operators 5
GPRS networks 6GPRS terminals
MMS launches 7EDGE operators
MMS handset launches 8
Mobile Location Analyst 10
Mobile Internet 11
Mobile Messaging Analyst 12
Mobile Communications 14
In association with
www.baskerville.telecoms.com
New, expanded Wireless Evolution Insider...
WIRELESS INTELLIGENCE FROM THE GSM ASSOCIATION October, 2002
and over that those great color screenswill soon hit the GSM market, I wonderaloud just when? I’m 45 and not sure Iwill live to actually purchase one or two– at least in the US where we are techno-logically challenged…that said, it is niceto see the plethora of new terminaldevices coming forth including theXDA…I love mine…as I have said before,I dream in color, I just can’t buy manyGSM devices that think in colour, at leastnot just yet. It gives me something to livefor though. On a recent visit to Asia I wasbored and calculatedthat in the past 17years, I have conserva-tively sat inside a fly-ing tube at 35,000 feetfor about 400 days.Yes, it is true…I havespent over one year,some 525,600 min-utes worth thereof, fly-ing. If I add in the time spent traveling toand from, and then actually wasting timesitting in airports, I gotta believe thatwould add in at least another half year,maybe a full 365 days, 24 hours per. Iliked it better when I thought of it as 2.5million miles worth…it sounds morepalatable. And penultimately. On arecent flight, I somehow was assigned awindow seat by mistake, fell asleep andwhen I awoke, I looked down and sawhundreds of circular irrigation patterns inthe fields below me. My mind couldn’tplace the country and after staring forwhat seemed like hours, I figured it out. Iwas looking at the rivets on the wing,neatly aligned in rows, one after anoth-er…just another of the many true travelstories I have experienced and thenpromptly forgotten…no wonder they call
me abbynormal…
EDGE is gaining momentum …The firstoperator outside of North and SouthAmerica has now announced their inten-tion to implement EDGE. Telstra’s GeneralManager of 3G Technology, KevinPhillips, has confirmed the Australianoperator will implement EDGE. Anotherfirst! Why? EDGE provides an increase inboth speed and capacity over GPRS. Costmay be an issue in the business caseanalysis – especially if the underlying BTS
infrastructure is noteasily upgradeable(read older). But if theequipment is easilyupgradeable, EDGEmay make a great evo-lution option. In theend, terminal devicesmay be the key toEDGE success on a
global basis. Unless devices are devel-oped with multiple band and transporttechnologies as integral components, takeup of the EDGE solution may wane…let’ssee what develops!
And last but not least, GPRSDemystified is now available in yourfavorite bookstores for your readingpleasure. Since it is printed on paper, youwill have to actually throw it in the rub-bish as I deleted the delete button. Mythanks to the contributors who helpedme put it together and to McGraw-Hillfor publishing the text. Pick up acopy…until then; I hope you enjoy thenew Wireless Insider brought to you bythe GSM Association in conjunction withBaskerville. Let me know what youthink…Best regards, John Hoffman
To subscribe forFREE to WirelessEvolution Insiderplease:
Wireless Evolution Insideris a bi-monthly electronicnewsletter produced bythe GSM Associationwhich containsinformation on wirelessdata issues includingGPRS, EDGE and 3GSM /WCDMA. WirelessEvolution Insider iswritten by JohnHoffmann, SeniorDirector of TechnologyEvolution for the GSMAssociation. John isresponsonsible for themanagement of theAssociation’s technicalevolution programmeincluding GSM, GPRS,EDGE and 3rd Generation.
Data and additionalstories in WirelessEvolution Insider arewritten by Baskerville,part of Informa TelecomsGroup. Baskerville’s teamof 40 editors, reportersand analysts with morethan 100 years combinedexperience writing for thetelecoms industry, as wellas an internationalnetwork ofcorrespondents in 30countries, provides theleading source ofanalysis, news andcomment in the telecomsindustry.
http://www.gsmworld.com“This publication is subject to copyright protection. The GSM Association makes no representation,
warranty or undertaking (express or implied) with respect to and does not accept any responsibility
for, and hereby disclaims liability for the accuracy or completeness or timeliness of the information
contained in this document.”
... several opera-tors are close tomaking acommitment onEDGE ...
Dear John,
You are way too North American centric...or you
believed that Charlie Brown knew what he was talking
about...after the Japanese, came all the Nordic coun-
tries in 1981 with NMT...not sure AT&T even made the
top five in the whole world...but they were first in North
America...in 1983 in Chicago! Everyone tries to rewrite
History! George Schmitt
Dear George,
I never use names in my work. However in this case, I am mak-
ing an exception as you are indeed the father of GSM and a
good friend. Thanks for setting me straight…I was never good
at history – or anything else I studied – all eight years of col-
lege worth…but I do resent being called a NACentric.
Abbynormal, yes. Centric mosttimes. North American cen-
tric…never! I just have my mail posted there…
Dear John,
Sometime ago you mentioned you were putting togeth-
er a book about GPRS. When is it going to be done?
Dear Book Lover,
I am proud to say that GPRS Demystified is now available!
Who knows why McGraw-Hill Publishing wanted me involved
with a book. I am sure they will never be so foolish again…but
alas, all 457 pages are now bound together for your reading
pleasure...
The back cover says (and I didn’t write this text)…
“GPRS unpacked, ironed out, and delivered in plain English.
Industry insiders who pioneered some of the earliest General
Packet Radio Service networks and applications speak out on
market, the GPRS business case, their implementation experi-
ence, and operational obstacles for providers and operators to
hurdle now.
Edited in a clear, jargon-suppressed style by John Hoffman,
Senior Consulting Director of the GSM Association, GPRS
Demystified culls insightful contributions from companies in
the mobile data industry who have “been there, done that” and
are prepared to do it again. Profit from their experience as they
tell you what you need to know about GPRS in real-world con-
text including:
The next step toward 3G networks, and hot to build robust
services within it / GPRS in perspective – viewpoints on com-
petition, costs, interoperability, pluses, minuses and technolo-
gy lifespan / Lessons learned from WAP and other forebears /
Roaming state-of-the-art and trends / Functionality of first gen-
eration terminals / How GPRS will change the basis business
practices of GSM operators / And much more.
For anyone who wants a thoughtful way to get up to speed
on the services that are paving the way for the next generations
networking, GPRS Demystified is a MUST read”.
A very special thanks to my friends and industry colleagues
who contributed to the book: Laurent Bernard, France
Telecom; Charles Brookson, CEng FIEE AFRIN; Clif
Campbell, Cingular Wireless; Simon Cavenett, Mondo Techo
LLC; Robert Conway, GSM Association; Carolyn Davies,
Baskerville; Axel Doerner, Vodafone; Scott Fox, Wireless
Facilities, Inc.; Kim Fullbrook, O2; David Gordon, Orange
Israel; Conchi Gutierrez, Telefónica Móviles; Gerhard Heinzel,
Country OperatorPakistan UfonePanama TelCAQatar Q-TelRussia Sonic DuoTaiwan MobitaiTaiwan Taiwan CellularTaiwan TransAsiaThailand TA OrangeTunisia Tunisie Telecom Ukraine KyivstarUkraine UMCYugoslavia MobtelSource: Global Mobile and GSM Associaton
GPRS networks under construction
GPRS terminalsVendor Model Market Date Frequency Bands Multi-slot ClassAlcatel 502 Available 900 / 1800 1+1Alcatel 701 Available 900 / 1800 4+1Alcatel 702 Available 900 / 1800 4+1Alcatel OneTouch 715 Available 900 / 1800 Class 10Audiovox GP710 Available 900 / 1800 4+1Audiovox GDX300 Available 900 / 1800 4+1Danger Hiphop Available - -Delacom Mobicard PCMCIA Available 900 / 1800 4+1Ericsson GM47 Available 900 / 1800 -Ericsson GM48 Available 850 / 1900 -Ericsson T39m Available 900 / 1800 / 1900 3+1 Ericsson T65 Available 900 / 1800 -Ericsson T68 (i) Available 900 / 1800 / 1900 -Ericsson R520m Available 900 / 1800 / 1900 3+1 Ericsson R600 Available 900 / 1800 -GTran Wireless DotSurfer PCMCIA Available 1800 4+2GTran Wireless DotSurfer PCMCIA Available 900 / 1800/1900GTran Wireless GPC-7001 PCMCIA Available 901 / 1800/1900 Class 10GTran Wireless GPC 7002 PCMCIA Q2 2002 902 / 1800/1900 Class 10GTran Wireless GPC 7003 PCMCIA Available 903 / 1800/1900Handspring Treo 180 Available 900 / 1900 -Handspring Treo 270 Available 900 / 1900 -Motorola T260 Available 900 / 1800/1900 2+1 Motorola T280 Available 900 / 1800/1900 4+1 Motorola Talkabout 192 Available 900 / 1800/1900 4+1 Motorola Timeport P7389i Available 900 / 1800/1900 2+1Motorola Timeport P7382i Available 1900 2+1 Motorola Accompli 8 Available 900 / 1800/1900 3+1 Motorola Accompli 9 Available 900 / 1800/1900Motorola V Series V66 Available 900 / 1800/1900 4+1Motorola V Series vV60 Available 900 / 1800/1900Motorola V Series V70 AvailableNEC N21i Available - -NEC 515 QUADBAND Available 800/900/1800/1900 Class 8NEC DB7000 Available EGSM 900 / 1800 Class 8Newolution Web Box Available EGSM 900 / 1800 Class 8Nokia 3510 Available 900 / 1800 -Nokia 6310 Available 900 / 1800 -Nokia 6310i Available 900 / 1800 / 1900 -Nokia 6510 Available 900 / 1800 -Nokia 7650 Available EGSM900/GSM1800Nokia 8310 Available 900 / 1800 -Nokia 8910 Available 900 / 1800 -Nokia 30 M2M Available EGSM900 Class 6 (3+1,2+2,2+1)Nokia D211 Available EGSM900/GSM1800Novatel Merlin G100 Available 1900 4+2 Novatel Expedite G301 2002 900/1800/1900 4+2 O2(Formally BT Cellnet) xda Available EGSM900/GSM1800 Class B Option Globetrotter Available 900/1800/1900 4+2 Panasonic GD96 Available 900 / 1800 4+1Philips Fisio 610 Available 900 / 1800 3+1 Class 4Philips Fisio 611 Available - 3+1 Class 10Philips Fisio 620 Available - 3+1 Class 10
Philips Fisio 820 Available 900 / 1800 3+1 Class 10Pretec Compact GPRS Card Available 900 / 1800 -RIM BlackBerry Available 900 / 1800 or 1900 only 1+1 0r 2+1RIM BlackBerry 5810 AvailableSagem MW959 Available 900 / 1800 2+1 or 3+1Sagem MW950 Available 900 / 1800 3+1Sagem OT190, OT130 Available 900 / 1800 3+1Samsung SGH-S100 Available 900 / 1800 4+1 Class 8Samsung SGH-Q100 Available 900 / 1800 4+1Samsung SGH-Q105 Available 900 / 1800 4+1 Class 8Samsung SGH-Q200 Available 900 / 1800 -Sendo Z100 Available 900 / 1800/1900 3+2Sierra Wireless AirCardI 700 Available - -Sierra Wireless AirCardI 710 Available 1900 4+4 class 12Sierra Wireless AirCardI 750 Available 900 / 1800 /1900 4+4 class 12Sierra Wireless SB 750 Available 900 / 1800/1900 4+4 class 12Sharp Zaurus - -Siemens AC35 Available EGSM900/GSM1800 4+1Siemens S45 Available EGSM900/GSM1800Siemens ME45 Available EGSM900/GSM1800Siemens SX45 Available 900 / 1800 4+1Siemens M50 Available 900 / 1800 Class 8Sony DuettoDC Available 800/900/1800/1900 Class 12Sony Ericsson T61g 850 – 1900 -Sony Ericsson P800 Available 900/1800/1900Sony Ericsson P800 Multimedia Available 900 / 1800/1900Sony Ericsson T68i Available 900/1800/1900 -Mitsubishi Trium Eclipse Available EGSM 900/1800 MHz 4+1Mitsubishi Trium Odyssey Available EGSM 900/1800 MHz 2+1Mitsubishi Trium Geo GPRS Available 900 / 1800 2+1Mitsubishi Trium Mondo Available 900 / 1800 2+1Wavecom WISMO2C 900 / 1800 2+1, then 4+2Wavecom WMOi3 900 / 1800 4+1Web Tech Wireless Wireless Locator Available 900 / 1800/1900 Class 1, 2, 4Web Tech Wireless Wireless Connector Available 900 / 1800/1900 Class 1, 2, 4WMCS M100 Available 900 / 1800/1900 3 + 1 class 1, 2 and 4 WMCS M101 Available 900 / 1800/1900 3 + 1 class 1, 2 and 4 Xircom PCMCIA Available 4+2Source: GSM Association
Country Operator Launch DateAustria Mobilkom 5th JuneAustralia Telstra 8th AugustAustralia Optus 1st AugustCroatia VIP-Net 4th JuneFinland Sonera 11th JuneFinland Radiolinja 18th SeptemberFrance Orange 30th MayGermany T-Mobile UnknownGermany Vodafone D2 18th April Greece Cosmote 5th SeptemberGreece Stet Hellas 8th AugustGreece Vodafone 29th JulyHong Kong Hong Kong CSL 28th March Hong Kong Hutchinson UnknownHong Kong SmarTone 17th JuneHungary Westel 18th AprilItaly TIM 21st MayItaly Wind unknownJordan Fastlink 20th AugustNorway Telenor 12th March
Country Operator Launch DatePhilippines Globe 17th June Poland Plus GSM 1st JunePortugal Vodafone Telecel 11th MayPortugal Optimus 1st JunePortugal TMN 22nd MaySingapore SingTel Mobile 4th SeptemberSlovakia EuroTel Bratislava 3rd SeptemberSpain Amena 2nd JulySpain Telefonica Moviles 3rd SeptemberSweden Vodafone 1st OctoberSwitzerland Sunrise 17th JuneSwitzerland Swisscom 3rd JuneTurkey Turkcell 17th June UK T-Mobile 1st JuneUK Vodafone Summer 202UK O2 Summer 2002UK Orange 13th AugustUK Hutchinson 3G Summer 2002USA AT&T Wireless 17th June Source: Global Mobile and GSM Association
Sharp GX-1 The Sharp GX-1 is due to be launched in the Autumn in the UK, Germany
and Ireland. Using the built in camera it can store up to 80 pictures. The
camera takes 110k pixel photos.
The display of the phone is 120x160 pixels and is capable of 65,536
colours. It can be used as a viewfinder. It also has a ‘mirror’ on the rear,
next to the camera to help the person being photographed. (source:
www.sharp.com)
Brief Overview
Availability: Q2 2002
Network: EGSM 900, GSM 1800
Network Features: GPRS, WAP
Features: SMS, EMS, MMS, IrDA, Email
Swisscom rolls out new MLS offersSwiss cellco Swisscom Mobile has added two new serv-ices to its location offering. WAP users can now see amap of the area around their current location and viewroutes to other locations. Subscribers are able toincrease the accuracy of the location fix by selectingtheir exact street location from an automatically gener-ated list. Both services are accessible from Swisscom’sportal and cost SFr0.30 (US$0.20) to display a map andSFr0.40 to plan a route. Swisscom is increasingly inte-grating its location-based services into other offerings.Both the map and routing capability can be utilized
within its ETV electronic telephone directory service.Users of Swisscom’s location-based community appli-cation friendZone are also able to locate their friends ona map.
Vizzavi UK launches FindVizzavi’s UK portal has launched a suite of SMS servicesthat can all be accessed via the same short code: 8888.Its first SMS-based MLS offering, a “find the nearest”application called Find, is among them. Find users arereverse charged for the information they receive, withthe first SMS costing £0.35 (US$0.54) and then subse-quent SMS just £0.15. The content on offer with Find ismuch the same as Vizzavi’s Find & Seek WAP offering,which launched more than a year ago but has sufferedfrom consumer apathy to the technology.
U.S. AT&T Wireless Nokia (E-OTD), SignalSoft n/a n/aCPS (E-OTD)
U.S. Cingular Wireless Nokia (E-OTD), SignalSoft, TCS n/a n/a
CPS (E-OTD)
U.S. VoiceStream Ericsson/ Nokia (E-OTD) n/a n/aCPS (E-OTD), SignalSoft
UK O2 n/a Redknee Redknee n/a
UK Orange n/a SignalSoft Webraska n/a
UK T-Mobile n/a SignalSoft n/a n/a*Not all operators release details of their location vendors; Ericsson, for example, claims to have 25 deals but has provided details of only 15.
Sources: Operators, vendors, Mobile Location Analyst
Mobile Location Analyst is a monthly report service focusing on a new mobile location theme every month.For your FREE copy visit www.baskerville.teleocms.com/mla
Telefonica adds SMSSpanish cellco Telefonica has added SMS capability toits “find the nearest location”-based offering. Up to nowthe service has only been available via WAP or via avoice-based IVR system. The service, which is part of itsMoviStar suite of value-added services, allows users toget contact details for local services such as pharmacies,restaurants and gas stations. The SMS service is beingoffered via a short code.
Regulator wants more textingSwedish telecoms regulator PTS is preparing a studyinto why Swedes don’t use SMS as frequently as manyof their European brethren, according to local pressreports. SMS traffic for Sweden’s Telia Mobile, for exam-ple, has hovered around 10 to 11 monthly messages persub – levels similar to France’s – in the past few quarters,
while in neighboring Norway users clocked up 35 to 50messages each. The relatively recent introduction ofreverse billing and shortcodes should help increase traf-fic flow, but while Sweden’s SMS prices are now on apar with many other markets, it is also thought that ear-lier high prices might have stifled SMS.
Mobey backing dual chipsThe Mobey Forum, an organization of banks and vendors,has unveiled its Preferred Payments Architecture for localmobile payments, a standards-based framework featuringdual-chip handsets with radio frequency identification(RFID) smart covers that include contactless chips. Thepremise is that subs will simply wave their mobile phones atan automatic teller machine or point-of-sale terminal,which will read the card details contained in the chip andfacilitate the transaction. Mobey Forum hopes the move willkick-start the creation of a consumer habit of using mobilephones for payments and other financial services. PIN entryon the mobile is expected within a year or two, and mobileEMV payments with dual chip should start around 2005.
Mobile Internet newsletter provides complete fortnightly coverage of today’s hot mobile data topics includ-ing messaging, entertainment and Java.
MMS prices are fallingThere are signs that MMS prices are already falling withoperators launching MMS eager to undercut the prices ofMMS services already on offer in the local market.Norwegian cellco Netcom will charge NKr5 (US$0.66)per MMS when it commercially launches in December.This is exactly half the price set by its rival Telenor, the firstoperator to launch MMS globally back in March.Meanwhile, Orange launched MMS in the UK in Augustpriced at £0.40 (US$0.62) per MMS, significantly cheap-er than T-Mobile UK’s offer, which costs £20 per monthfor up to 10MB of data. Vodafone Sweden hasannounced that it will charge SKr4.80 (US$0.51) perMMS (maximum 30Kb) when it rolls out its new servicein October.
M1 subs send 1.7 MMS a daySingapore cellco MobileOne claims that MMS usershave sent 1.7 person-to-person (P2P) MMS messages aday on average since it launched the new messagingservice Aug. 3. The cellco has, however, been offeringthe service for free for the first month to generate inter-est. “We are pleased with the initial usage, but we don’t
expect these levels to be sustained,” CEO NeilMontefiore admitted to MMA. As the first cellco in themarket to launch MMS, M1 is throwing down the gaunt-let to its local rivals. At the end of the trial period, theoperator will charge users just S$0.50 (US$0.29) perMMS, meaning that it will be offering one of the cheap-est MMS services globally. Rival SingTel plans to launchMMS in early September, while StarHub, Singapore’syoungest operator, plans to launch by year-end.
SMS top-ups for prepaid usersAustrian cellco Connect One is offering prepay usersthe option of recharging their accounts via SMS. Thecatch – a postpaid customer needs to do it for them. Thecellco claims it is aiming the service at parents withpostpaid subscriptions who want to top up their chil-dren’s mobile credit. Credit can be added in €20(US$19.69) increments, with postpaid customers able tobill up to €100 of prepay credits onto their accounteach month. While cellcos are increasingly recognizingthe value of the monthly mobile statement for billingvalue-added services, One is the first to use it to reverse-bill for phone credit.
KDDI confirms video messaging plansKDDI has confirmed that its first video camera-equipped phone will be available in October, as pre-
Key messaging technology announcements in AugustDate Operator Country Announcement
2-Aug Nextel U.S. Selected SMS interoperability gateway from Wireless Services Corporation
3-Aug MobileOne Singapore Launched MMS services with technology from Nokia
7-Aug Stet Hellas Greece Launched MMS services
12-Aug Proximus Belgium Announced MMS solution contract with Ericsson
12-Aug Vodacom South Africa MMS contract with Openwave
12-Aug DST Brunei Signed agreement with Logica to upgrade SMSC capacity to 20 messages per second
13-Aug Orange UK Launched MMS services with MMS technology from Nokia
15-Aug Pannon Hungary Announced MMS solution contract with Nokia
19-Aug Telia Sweden, Finland, Denmark MMS supply deal with CMG
19-Aug Netcom Norway MMS contract with CMG
22-Aug DTAC Thailand MMS solution from Nokia
29-Aug China Mobile China MMSC contract with Ericsson
29-Aug Chunghwa Telecom Taiwan Announced MMS solution contract with Nokia
Source: Mobile Messaging Analyst
Mobile Messaging Analyst is a monthly online newsletter for anyone with an interest in the messaging space.Reliable and comprehensive, no other messaging source includes this level of data and analysis
Read you FREE copy here www.baskerville.telecoms.com/messaging
dicted in MMA (MMA, August 2002). The Toshiba hand-set enables subscribers to record up to 15 seconds ofmovie, three times more than its rival, Vodafone-backedJ-Phone, is offering to subscribers to its Movie Sha-mailservice. KDDI subscribers will also be able to addvoiceovers and up to 80 characters of subtitles to theimages. KDDI has yet to reveal pricing for either thehandset or service but says the service will be discount-ed to encourage users to send their images to friends.The reluctance of Japanese cellcos to provide informa-tion on the use of their photo messaging services hassuggested that mobile subs are choosing to store imageson handsets rather than forward them on.
Nokia announces two new MMS handsetsNokia has announced that it will introduce two newMMS-compatible handsets onto the market 4Q02/1Q03.The Nokia 3650 has an integrated camera, camcorder,video player and MMS functionality. It includes a 176 x208 pixel colour display with 4096 colours, and a circu-lar keypad with a 5-way scroll key. RealOne Player soft-ware allows the downloading, playing or real-timestreaming of video content. The Nokia 3510i has MMScapability, but no camera. The phone has a 4096 colourdisplay and Java for downloading games. The Nokia3510i supports polyphonic ring tones.
More North American cellcos interconnect SMS More mobile operators across North America are invest-ing in SMS interoperability technology and signinginterconnect agreements with their rivals to drive adop-tion of the messaging technology. Three Venezualancellcos – Telcel BellSouth, Movilnet and Digitel – inter-connected their systems in August, following pressurefrom the local regulator. The four Chilean cellcos inter-connected in July.
U.S. iDEN operator Nextel has contracted U.S. gate-
way provider Wireless Services to enable its subs tosend messages to other networks. The cellco is one ofthe last in the U.S. to open up, GSM operator AT&TWireless having led the way last November.Interconnection has proved essential for the successfuladoption of SMS in every market, but SMS is still prov-ing a hard sell in the U.S. While U.S. interconnectioninfrastructure provider InphoMatch claims that U.S.SMS volumes are doubling every month, the companyis currently only handling a total of 100 million mes-sages a month for its operator customers, which includeAT&T Wireless, Verizon and Voicestream. That’s a dropin the ocean compared to Europe, where the UK alonegenerated 1.35 billion SMS in July.
Virgin gets messaging onboardVirgin Atlantic has become the latest airline to offer itspassengers in-flight SMS and e-mail services. The serv-ice, which is being provided in partnership with U.S.-based service provider ARINC, will be available to allpassengers. The messaging services have been integrat-ed with Virgin’s new onboard in-flight entertainmentsystem from Panasonic to allow passengers to send mes-sages via their seat-back video screen. Messages up to160 characters will cost US$2.50 to send, with passen-gers paying by credit card. The airline plans to add thecapability to receive messages and pay using prepaidcards later this year. Virgin is not alone in spotting theopportunity to take advantage of a captive market eagerto text. This year has seen a number of airlines launch-ing similar services, with Singapore and Austrian air-lines among the operators leading the way.
Telekom Austria to launch fixed-line SMSTelekom Austria is launching a fixed-line SMS service,allowing messages to be sent and received from fixed-line phones. It will also be possible to send SMSs bothin the form of short messages with up to 160 charactersand as long messages with up to 640 characters. Theprice per text is €0.099 for short messages and €0.198for Long Message Service (LMS).
Mobile Messaging Analyst is a monthly online newsletter for anyone with an interest in the messaging space.Reliable and comprehensive, no other messaging source includes this level of data and analysis
Read you FREE copy here www.baskerville.telecoms.com/messaging
MMS gathers paceVodafone Sweden will launch MMS in October and isset to charge SKr4.80 (€0.52) per message for up to30KB of data after an initial promotional period.Telefonica Moviles of Spain launched its own service onSeptember 2 with a promotion including 100 free mes-sages; it plans eventually to charge €0.60 per message.Cosmote’s offering was launched on September 5 inGreece (Mobile Communications, 337/10).
Dutch O2 to abolish handset subsidiesO2, the Dutch mobile unit of UK-based mobile groupmmO2, was set to abolish handset subsidies for all itssubscribers on September 16. The move, which is beingclosely watched by the operator’s four rivals in theNetherlands, will coincide with a new postpaid priceplan aimed at making call charges more transparent.Separately, Vodafone Netherlands has launched a newtariff for business customers, BusinessConnect, with areduced rate for calls to fixed-line telephones withinthe same region. Per-minute rates also drop the longerthe call, and charges come down as more users from a
particular business are added (MobileCommunications, 326/1).
Swedish operators to share mastsSwedish operator Telia Mobile has reached a deal thatallows 3G new entrant Hi3G to erect UMTS antennason its own masts. Under the terms of the frameworkagreement, Telia Mobile will also be permitted to accessHi3G’s masts. Telia Mobile does not have a 3G licencebut intends to be a player in the Swedish UMTS marketthrough a deal with Tele2 Mobile.
Sonofon releases Java portfolioDanish operator Sonofon has launched a series of Javagames managed by aggregator End2End and suppliedby games developers Sumea, Macrospace and WirelessEntertainment Services (WES). The Nokia 3410 will bethe first handset to support the games (MobileCommunications, 335/6).
O2 launches Java servicesUK operator O2 launched a Java-based service thatallows subscribers to download games to their hand-sets on September 1. The O2 Games Arcade contains12 downloadable games that will be free duringSeptember and cost £1.50 (€2.35) plus airtime fromOctober. The service will initially be available only onthe recently released Nokia 3410 although more Java-enabled handsets, some with colour screens, willcome onto the market before year-end. UK mobilegroup mmO2, which owns O2, plans to launch theservice at its other operations in Germany, Ireland andthe Netherlands in October (Mobile Communications,335/6).
UK to ban drivers from using mobilesThe UK government has proposed legislation banningthe use of mobile phones while driving. Infringementcould result in an on-the-spot fine of £30 (E47) or acourt-imposed one of £1,000. More than 100,000 peo-ple per year are expected to be fined. The law wouldalso allow police to prosecute an employer that causesor permits a worker to use a mobile phone while driv-ing. The use of hands-free connections to mobilephones is exempted from the proposal.
Mobile Communications is a fortnightly newsletter focusing on the strategy, regulation and technologyissues affecting today’s mobile industry.
For more information and a FREE sample issue visit www.baskerville.telecoms.com/mc
Subs growth in the western European cellularmarket, Jan 2001 – Jul 2002Month Net Relative Month Net Relative
additions growth (%) additions growth (%)
Jan-01 5,727,569 2.34 Jan-02 1,082,303 0.38
Feb-01 5,259,078 2.10 Feb-02 919,682 0.32
Mar-01 5,551,500 2.17 Mar-02 866,311 0.30
Apr-01 4,644,884 1.78 Apr-02 1,398,332 0.49
May-01 3,978,318 1.50 May-02 1,314,387 0.46
Jun-01 2,222,649 0.82 Jun-02 1,281,162 0.44
Jul-01 1,791,290 0.66 Jul-02 1,060,390 0.37
Aug-01 3,589,452 1.31 Aug-02
Sep-01 2,802,239 1.01 Sep-02
Oct-01 2,484,123 0.89 Oct-02
Nov-01 2,679,686 0.95 Nov-02
Dec-01 4,923,129 1.60 Dec-02
Total 45,653,917 18.83 7,922,567
Source: Mobile Communications
Vodafone launches m-pay cardsUK mobile operator Vodafone has launched m-paycards, a secure macro-payment service allowing sub-scribers to pay for goods online via the internet or WAP(Mobile Communications, 326/10 & 330/7). Customersfirst register their credit- or debit-card details (as well asa username and password) with Vodafone, after whichthey can make online purchases at participating storeson their websites. If a shopper selects the m-pay-cardpayment option, Vodafone automatically transfers theuser’s card details to the relevant shop. All transactionsare finally authorised by a unique code sent to the uservia SMS, which then has to be entered into the relevantshop’s website.
Spanish 3G operators demand depositsSpanish 3G operators Telefonica Moviles, VodafoneAirtel, Amena and Xfera have called on the governmentto return their 3G licence deposits – worth a total E6.9billion – following the return of similar deposits tocable-TV and public mobile radio operators. TheSpanish regulator has already twice postponed thedeadline for rolling out 3G services (MobileCommunications, 325/2).
J-Phone exceeds 6 million Sha-mail usersJapanese operator J-Phone announced that it passed 6million users of Sha-mail, its photo messaging service,on August 9, an 88 per cent rise since the beginning ofthe year. Sha-mail, which allows subscribers to send
and receive e-mails with attachments containing audioand video messages up to five seconds long, hassecured 1 million users in the past two months (MobileCommunications, 335/11).
Mobilkom claims 3G network readyMobilkom Austria has announced that its 3G network isready for use in 25 per cent of the country. The compa-ny says, however, that it does not expect to have any 3Ghandsets – and therefore users – for another three to sixmonths. Content will be provided by sources includingpublic broadcast station ORF, news agency Reuters andsports website sport1.at.
Telefonica Moviles makes GPRS roaming deals:Spanish operator Telefonica Moviles has announcedGPRS roaming agreements, which it says cover about 70per cent of the markets where Spanish mobile users typi-cally travel (Mobile Communications, 308/1). The opera-tor now has reciprocal agreements with O2 and Orangein the UK, Orange France, TMN of Portugal, Italy’s TIM,Germany’s T-Mobile and Mobistar of Belgium.
Yahoo! acquires Zed stakeUS internet service provider Yahoo! has acquired a 15per cent stake in mobile internet portal Zed from Finnishoperator Sonera for an undisclosed amount (MobileCommunications, 333/12). Reports suggest, however,that Yahoo! paid about US$14 million (€14.2 million) forthe stake. Under the terms of the agreement, Yahoo! canincrease its interest in Zed to 100 per cent within twoyears or withdraw from the company entirely. Yahoo! isset to offer ringtones and picture messages under bothZed and Yahoo! brands, along with e-mail access frommobile devices and instant messaging services.