PARIS-France Telecom announced several wireless data initiatives, including General Packet Radio Service and Wireless Application Protocol-based services.
The carrier announced the first phase of GPRS service will be rolled out in the greater Lille area in northern France on its Itineris network, as well as in an east suburb of Paris. In early May, GPRS will be deployed in the southern half of Paris, followed in June by the business districts in the southern suburbs of Villejuif and Rungis.
In June, several thousand Itineris customers will be able to access the Internet using a laptop connected to a GPRS wireless handset. Data rates will be up to 30 to 40 kilobits per second, the carrier said. Full commercial launch of GPRS throughout the Itineris network is scheduled for the last quarter of 2000.
In addition, Itineris will launch a range of wireless Internet services based on WAP in May.
Itineris services initially will allow users to personalize their interfaces to access a WAP version of the Voila portal, send and receive e-mail, and use an online organizer. In June, users will be able to shop and manage their wireless subscription features via their Global System for Mobile communications handsets, France Telecom said.
“Our offering is clearly designed to democratize the wireless Internet in France; access to the service is free, and calls are simply deducted from the subscriber’s standard call time,” said France Telecom Chief Operating Officer Michel Bon.
The carrier has ordered 5 million WAP handsets from cell phone manufacturers and aims to have 1 million wireless Internet customers within a year. In June, businesses will be able to set up customized wireless Internet portals tailored to their specific needs and profiles, France Telecom said.
