PARIS-France Telecom Mobiles announced it will activate roaming with American Personal Communications this quarter.
The company announced in June its intent to deploy roaming functionality between APC’s PCS 1900 network and its own cellular Global System for Mobile communications network.
The accord allows France Telecom’s Itineris service subscribers who have selected the “Option Monde” international plan for $10 per month to use their service throughout APC’s market, which includes Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia and West Virginia, the company said. APC subscribers can roam on France Telecom’s network as well.
France Telecom cellular customers will be able to access all cellular services and keep the same telephone number by inserting their Subscriber Identity Module card, which contains complete subscriber information, into the phone for follow-me roaming services.
To allow its customers to easily obtain a PCS 1900 phone, France Telecom said it has set up a rental network that will allow customers to rent a phone before leaving France or upon arrival in the United States.
France Telecom said it has developed in conjunction with APC an interworking unit that performs two-way conversion between the U.S. 1900 MHz standard and the European 900 MHz system.
The unit is installed between the APC network and a leased circuit connected to an international gateway point, providing access to any GSM network worldwide, said France Telecom.
Washington is a major destination for European travelers and about 10 percent to 20 percent of APC’s subscriber base is composed of high-end users, the company noted.
APC said it has signed roaming agreements with other GSM carriers in England, Italy and Germany.
