STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Swedish wireless carrier Telia Mobile announced it will offer a wireless Internet service much like NTT DoCoMo’s wildly popular i-mode service.
Telia’s service, dubbed PocketMode, features an open interface for content providers, allowing them to offer their services directly to users instead of forming business deals with the carrier. Telia also said PocketMode bills through mobile-phone invoices and even prepaid cards—a major step forward for wireless Internet billing practices.
“This is a natural step for us, and together with content providers, we will make PocketMode Sweden’s largest marketplace for mobile services,” said Kenneth Karlberg, the carrier’s president. “The open interface means that content providers have a direct channel to our 3 million mobile customers.”
Telia’s move comes as a variety of carriers across the world have begun to open their wireless data services to content providers and then share the revenues generated from those services with the providers. Formerly, carriers have kept their wireless data and Internet offerings closed and in-house, with the exception of NTT DoCoMo.
The Netherlands’ KPN Mobile was highly expected to launch the first i-mode-like service in Europe as NTT DoCoMo holds a 15-percent stake in the Dutch carrier. However, financial troubles have kept KPN from moving forward with its plans.
