NEW ORLEANS-GTE Telecommunication Services Inc., Tampa, Fla., announced at PCS ’99 it has developed a universal roaming services agreement to help wireless carriers simplify and expedite their launch of international roaming.
GTE TSI said its offering is unique in that it “guarantees payment to serving operators, [thereby removing] the bad debt risk perceived by many operators as an impediment to international roaming.”
Several Asian wireless carriers already have contracted to take GTE TSI up on its new offer for roaming on their cdmaOne networks. They include Hutchison Telecom of Hong Kong; The DDI Cellular Group and IDO Corp., which have a cooperative marketing agreement in Japan; and Shingsegi Telecomm Inc. of South Korea.
The multicarrier agreement with GTE TSI will enable the four Asian service providers to work as strategic partners in enhancing their individual customers’ roaming capabilities, said Stephen Ngan, director of wireless sales and marketing for Hutchison Telecom.
“This agreement is a significant milestone (because) it represents the first full-fledged international roaming service in Hong Kong, Korea and Japan,” said Hiroshi Sakai, director and general manager of DDI’s mobile communications engineering division.
“After we successfully launch the service in Hong Kong, Korea and Japan, we fully intend to expand worldwide.”
IDO plans to offer the roaming service with carriers in Hong Kong and South Korea by year-end, Kyodo News Service reported Sept. 28. Teaming up with American wireless carriers like Bell Atlantic Mobile and GTE Wireless, it plans to offer roaming in the United States by spring. Roaming with Australian carriers is scheduled for next fall.
Terry Lewis, president of GTE TSI, said the company’s research indicates there are more than 38 million inbound and outbound travelers per year between North America and Latin America. Another 23 million wireless subscribers travel between North America and the Asia-Pacific region.
“Based on industry averages for mobile phone use, we predict the roaming revenue between North American … and Latin American operators could reach more than $113 million annually,” explained Lewis.
He termed the revenue opportunities for callers traveling between North America and the Asia-Pacific region “equally lucrative,” but did not provide specific monetary projections.
GTE TSI’s new universal roaming services agreement is part of a solutions package, which can include administrative support like technical data sheet exchange, call troubleshooting, roaming rate audits and roamer database management. GTE also offers services that include network interconnection, standards translation and conversion, fraud management, data clearing and settlement, financial net settlement, customer care and online analytical tools.
