re: GPRS Roamfest II
Objective: Seamless Global GPRS & MMS Roaming
GPRS Today
- 121 live GPRS networks in 49 countries
- A further 60 networks scheduled
- 40+ MMS networks on line and many more planned.
Roamfest I (April, 2002 in Rome)
- 90 delegates from 84 networks
- 1,500 bilateral roaming agreements signed or agreed in four days
Roamfest II (October, 2002 in Istanbul)
- Emphasis on MMS inter-working
- 40+ MMS networks on line and many more planned
- One-Stop-Shop approach will enable operators to meet and sign bilateral agreements required for seamless GPRS and MMS network connectivity.
- Once agreements take effect, subscribers will instantly benefit from increased international access to mobile data services.
>> GSM Association Continues To Advance GPRS Roaming At Istanbul Plenary
New agreements enable international mobile data access and encourage new services.
GSMA
48th Plenary
Istanbul, Turkey
16 October 2002
Seamless Global GPRS Roaming took another giant leap forward for hundreds of mobile operators and millions of their customers through the GSM Association’s second Roamfest event which was held at its 48th Plenary in Istanbul.
In April this year, the Association held its first Roamfest initiative at its Plenary meeting in Rome. The event was a great success with attendance from more than 90 delegates from 84 networks, with in the region of 1,500 bilateral roaming agreements being signed or agreed in just four days.
Following this extraordinary success, the Association is repeating the Roamfest initiative at its Plenary in Istanbul, but with an emphasis on MMS. More than 200 delegates have participated in the second Roamfest which this time is being sponsored by one of the GSMA’s associate members, Oksijen a Turkish-based telecommunications software developer and supplier.
Opening the event, Luc Van Den Bogaert, chairman of the Association’s Billing and Roaming Group and representing Belgacom Mobile in the GSMA, hailed the success of the initial Roamfest and predicted that the second event would be equally momentous.
“The GSM Association established a technical GPRS roaming platform and facilitated the commercial agreements needed to make global service a reality,” he said. “Today we have 121 live GPRS networks in 49 countries, with a further 60 networks scheduled. Now with more than 40 MMS networks on line and many more planned it is important we extend our Roamfest initiative to cover MMS inter-working.”
The one-stop-shop approach of Roamfest will enable operators from around the globe to meet and sign the bilateral agreements required for seamless GPRS and MMS network connectivity. Once these agreements take effect, subscribers will instantly benefit from increased international access to mobile data services.
Jim Pratt, GSM Association Chairman, commented: “GPRS roaming is key to the commercial success of wireless data services. The Association is playing a significant role in driving GPRS roaming to be as seamless and successful as voice roaming. The Roamfest events offer operators a window of opportunity to put these critical agreements in place.”
Meeting facilities will be available for operators at the Plenary to individually negotiate and complete new GPRS roaming agreements and maintain the momentum of MMS by ensuring the inter-working agreements are also in place.
“We want to make sure that operators are ready to roam with GPRS and MMS and that they have all the necessary mechanics in place to achieve this,” commented Rob Conway, CEO GSM Association.
“Bringing the operator community together in the same physical location facilitates and fastracks the operators biliateral negotiations and in this business time to market is crucial. The sooner we can provide subscribers with the services they are demanding, the faster the businesses will build,” added Conway. <<
- Eric - |
