HELSINKI, Finland-Austrian mobile operator One launched a new location-based service based on Nokia's mPosititon technology. The location information can be retrieved by short message service (SMS) or the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP).The service offers entertainment information, as well as emergency information, such as hospital,...
NEW DELHI, India-After consolidation of operations and brands, Indian GSM players are now turning to more competitive services by adding new features. This week, two leading players-Bharti and Escotel-launched high-powered subscriber identity module (SIM) cards to facilitate more applications.The 32K SIM card launched by...
BEIJING—Siemens IC Mobile is collaborating with China Mobile to offer Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and short message service (SMS) services to inform subscribers when goals are made in the FIFA World Cup 2002 soccer competition. Game reports, team profiles, quizzes and greeting cards will...
TOKYO—NTT DoCoMo Inc. said it will develop next-generation FOMA handsets equipped with a dual browser capable of handling both i-mode-compatible HTML and WAP 2.0-compatible XHTML by the end of this year. The move is expected to make it easier for content providers to supply...
OXFORD, United Kingdom—A joint venture between Orange and U.K.-based cable operator NTL should soon enable Orange cell-phone users to order digital content and have it downloaded via NTL's broadband connection to their homes. NTL said it is also planning to leverage its relationships with...
LONDON—A new report stated the number of contract mobile subscribers has increased in the United Kingdom for the first time since 1999. J.D. Power and Associates said the number of new users choosing to pay on a monthly basis increased from 12 percent in...
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico—InfoSpace Inc. announced that it is providing its wireless software and services for the launch of WAP, SMS and speech-enabled data services by Verizon Wireless Puerto Rico. The launch includes a wide range of Spanish-language messaging, entertainment and personalized information services....
By Alejandro AlfieBUENOS AIRES, Argentina—As the economic crisis in Argentina continues, the impact is being felt throughout South America’s mobile industry.“The situation in Argentina has dramatically affected the mobile penetration in the country,” said Leslie Arathoon, Latin America Manager of Pyramid Research. “This means...
DUBLIN, Ireland—O2 has announced plans to establish a new content platform that will encourage digital media firms to create "viable business models" based on selling content to mobile operators.The pan-European operator revealed details of its plans at a digital media conference in University College...
TOKYO—Cybird, a leading mobile content provider, announced that it tied up with China.com for content distribution services in China.Upon the contract, Moeasy, a subsidiary of China.com, will distribute fortune-telling content to mobile users in Beijing and Shanghai with charges. Cybird did not disclose the...
OXFORD, United Kingdom—According to one of the United Kingdom's largest cell-phone retailers, Carphone Warehouse, less than 1 percent of the 170,000 customers that purchased General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) phones signed up for the high-speed service. The company said that while GPRS phones made...
TOKYO—NTT DoCoMo Inc., the largest mobile carrier in Japan, and Bouygues Telecom, the third-largest operator in France, announced they reached a license agreement over i-mode services in France. Following the technology transfer agreement, Bouygues Telecom, a telecom business unit of Bouygues SA, is going...
Send press releases of new products for consideration for future "Products" updates to Global Wireless Products Handsets/devicesNokiaNokia introduced several new handsets that feature multimedia messaging service (MMS) capability, Java ...
MELBOURNE, Australia—Optus is likely to delay the rollout of its $A900 million (US$478 million) third-generation (3G) mobile network beyond its proposed date of November 2002, according to Lee Hsien Yang, the head of Singapore Telecommunications, which owns Optus.Lee, who recently visited Australia, said in...
MUNICH, Germany—The mobile division of technology giant Siemens continues to reinforce its wireless Internet offering, adding instant messaging features and a proxy server.First, the company teamed with wireless messaging company Ecrio Inc. to offer carrier customers a wireless instant-messaging service, which Siemens said includes...
OXFORD, United Kingdom—In an effort to stem growing concerns about interoperability, Nokia has indicated that it might take on some of the responsibilities to ensure its Open Mobile Architecture (OMA) initiative moves forward. The OMA, which has most of the major mobile equipment developers...
LONDON—Hoping to counter competition from Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo Inc.'s i-mode service, U.K.-based Vodafone Group plc is planning to roll out a more graphically enhanced version of its Vizzavi Web portal in Europe, according to Reuters.Vodafone's current Vizzavi site, which it jointly owns with...
LONDON—724 Solutions Inc. gained a major vote of confidence from Radiolinja Eesti, an Estonian carrier with 146,600 subscribers. The carrier purchased 724 Solutions' extensive data services platform and will use it for its GPRS launch."This is an exciting announcement for 724 Solutions since it...
OXFORD, United Kingdom, and TOKYO—Hidden within the first cell-phone announcements from Sony Ericsson was the fact that the joint venture's P800 smart phone device will use the operating system (OS) developed by Symbian. The P800, one of six new devices announced, includes a large...
LONDON—Orange has partnered with BBC Multimedia and Digital Bridges to bring the television show "The Weakest Link" to mobile-phone users in Europe.The mobile version of the game show will be available for Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and short message service (SMS) phones. The WAP...
LONDON—The Wireless Village standards group released its version 1.0 specifications for wireless instant messaging, prompting a range of new product and service announcements from Wireless Village members.The standards group said the specifications will allow universal interoperability between wireless and wired instant messaging and presence...
LONDON—Cellular handset sales in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are showing signs of recovery, prompting LG to enter the UAE's GSM phone market with two of its mobile-phone models, the LG 600 and the LG 510W. LG hopes the models will help it to...
HELSINKI, Finland—Sonera, the Helsinki-based telecom company, has abandoned its fixed monthly connection charge for its consumer General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) offering in a move designed to increase use of the service.Under Sonera's new policy, all subscribers to Sonera's GSM service in Finland can...
