TM3 3GSM WCDMA May Launches (With Handsets)
How many handsets in a ton?
* T-Mobile, Europe's second-largest mobile phone operator, will start selling its first third-generation (3G) multimedia handsets from May in Germany, Britain and Austria - Boris Groendahl, Reuters -
* "Nokia has assured that it can deliver what we are ordering, and we will order a five-digit number. T-Mobile Multimedia or 'TM3'" is more than 3G. We intend to avoid using the terms '3G', 'GPRS', 'WAP', 'GSM' et cetera in our customer communication and will instead combine everything in this generic term." Rene Obermann, CEO, T-Mobile International -
* "T-Mobile and Nokia are truly in a collaborative mode, and the inclusion of the Nokia 7600 phone in our portfolio is a great example of our shared vision of making WCDMA a vibrant force for life-enriching communications. We've been very pleased with the performance of the Nokia 7600 phone and believe its cutting-edge features such as the high-quality video streaming will be a boost to our customers as they explore the possibilities of 3G multimedia and entertainment." - Michael Schuld, EVP Terminal Management, T-Mobile Germany -
>> CEBIT: T-Mobile to launch 3G in May in Germany, UK
Boris Groendahl
CeBIT 2004
Hanover, Germany
Reuters
March 18, 2004
forbes.com
T-Mobile, Europe's second-largest mobile phone operator, will start selling its first third-generation (3G) multimedia handsets from May in Germany, Britain and Austria, it said on Thursday. T-Mobile, controlled by Deutsche Telekom, will have tens of thousands of music- and picture-enabled phones made by market leader Nokia in shops by then, Chief Executive Rene Obermann said.
"Nokia has assured that it can deliver what we are ordering, and we will order a five-digit number," Obermann told a news conference at the CeBIT technology fair. He declined to be drawn further on the number.
The announcement makes T-Mobile the first major European operator to give a firm launch date for a 3G handset, although the number is only a tiny part of total mobile phone sales. Germany's four operators sold 25 million cellphones last year.
Vodafone Group Plc, Europe's No. 1, said earlier on Thursday it remained "stubborn" on its so far phoneless 3G launch -- it is currently selling third-generation smart cards for laptops.
The company said 3G handsets were still too bulky and unreliable, and their battery lives too short, to roll them out to customers.
T-Mobile will also start to sell a 3G laptop card in May, largely to business customers, in addition to the Nokia 7600 phone which will target the retail market.
T-Mobile dubbed the network it will launch in May "T-Mobile Multimedia," or "TM3", and said that while it included 3G, it did not want TM3 to be identified with the new mobile standard.
"TM3 is more than 3G," Obermann said. "We intend to avoid using the terms '3G', 'GPRS', 'WAP', 'GSM' et cetera in our customer communication and will instead combine everything in this generic term."
Music, Push-To-Talk
T-Mobile also announced the launch of a mobile music offer on Thursday that allows subscribers to download short music tracks onto their phones in a new format developed with music industry leaders Sony Music and Universal.
KPN-owned rival E-Plus, Germany's third-biggest mobile operator, and fourth-ranked O2 Germany, owned by British-based mmO2 Plc, both announced on Wednesday plans for 3G laptop cards that offer Internet speeds of up to 384 kilobits per second.
While O2 Germany is also exhibiting a 3G phone made by Finnish handset heavyweight Nokia, it said the phone would not be for sale before the second quarter. E-Plus has said it would start selling its first 3G handsets in the summer.
Cellphone giant Vodafone Group Plc has said it will have one or two 3G handsets available in the first half of the year, although it expects a greater range of models in the second half of the year. <<
Nokia's Press Release
>> T-Mobile to Offer Nokia 7600 Phones On Its Commercial WCDMA 3G Network In Germany
Nokia Press Release
March 18, 2004
press.nokia.com
Leading up to the launch of its flagship WCDMA 3G network in Germany, T-Mobile has agreed with Nokia on the volume supply of the Nokia 7600 GSM/WCDMA phone. T-Mobile will include the Nokia 7600 imaging device in its portfolio of 3G devices from the start, allowing its subscribers to experience fast and flexible mobile Internet services with the latest in handset technology and style.
"T-Mobile and Nokia are truly in a collaborative mode, and the inclusion of the Nokia 7600 phone in our portfolio is a great example of our shared vision of making WCDMA a vibrant force for life-enriching communications," says Michael Schuld, Executive Vice President Terminal Management, T-Mobile Germany. "We've been very pleased with the performance of the Nokia 7600 phone and believe its cutting-edge features such as the high-quality video streaming will be a boost to our customers as they explore the possibilities of 3G multimedia and entertainment."
"We are proud to be at the forefront with T-Mobile as it opens 3G service in one of the most advanced mobile markets in the world," says Marcus Störkel, Key Account Manager T-Mobile Europe, Customer and Market Operations, Nokia. "The Nokia 7600 combines the appeal of a futuristic design, the practical advantages of small size and long-lasting battery power, and the promise of next generation WCDMA 3G services. The Nokia 7600 will let T-Mobile's subscribers take the fullest advantage of T-Mobile's innovative services."
With the Nokia 7600 imaging device, T-Mobile customers can enjoy a full range of multimedia experiences, such as capturing and viewing pictures and videos with the phone's 65,000-color screen, listening to music, as well as exchanging multimedia messages and mobile e-mail. The ability to seamless handovers, incorporation of the latest 3GPP standards and robust battery performance makes the Nokia 7600 an ideal device for taking advantage of T-Mobile's WCDMA 3G network. Nokia has also been one of the major suppliers of WCDMA 3G radio-access network equipment to T-Mobile.
Operating in GSM 900/1800 as well as WCDMA 3G networks, the distinctive Nokia 7600 is currently available in volumes in Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
About T-Mobile International
T-Mobile International is one of the world's leading companies in mobile communications. As one of Deutsche Telekom`s four strategic divisions, T-Mobile concentrates on the most dynamic markets in Europe and the United States. By the end of 2003, about 90 million people were using the mobile communications services provided by companies in which T-Mobile or Deutsche Telekom have a majority or minority stake. And all that over a common technology platform based on GSM, the world's most successful digital wireless standard. This also makes T-Mobile the only mobile communications provider with a seamless transatlantic service. <<
- Eric - |
