U S West To Offer Phones That Surf The Internet
Monday May 10 1:32 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U S West Inc., the Denver-based local telephone company, said Monday it soon will offer phones that allow customers to send email and access the Internet without using a computer.
The new phones will target consumers who find computers too intimidating or expensive. U S West estimated about 50 percent of consumers have never surfed the Internet or sent email.
''With these new phones, we're going to blow open the Internet revolution to everybody by moving email and Web access to something people are already comfortable with -- the telephone,'' said U S West Chief Executive Sol Trujillo.
The ''Web Phones'' operates like a traditional phone, but they also have a color screen that allows customers to navigate the Internet just by pointing and touching certain icons.
The screen system works similarly to an automatic teller machine at a bank. Consumer can also send email by typing a message on a built-in keyboard
Unlike many computers which are bulky and impractical to move, the Web Phones work in any standard phone jack and can be shifted around the house as customers move from the kitchen to the living room or home office.
The wireline ''Web Phones,'' made by telecommunications equipment manufacturer Alcatel Alsthom, will be available in the fall.
The phones cost between $300 and $400, industry analysts said. Customers then subscribe to any Internet service provider of their choice to get access to the World Wide Web.
In addition to the Web Phones, U S West will also sell wireless phones that can receive, display and store emails and access Internet sites offering information on financial news, sports headlines, weather and travel tips.
The wireless ''Thin Phones,'' made by wireless phone manufacturer Qualcomm Inc. (Nasdaq:QCOM - news), will be available in mid-May. Access to the Internet through U S West's Internet service, USWEST.net, will be available later this year.
The Thin Phones weigh about four ounces and cost $99, U S West said.
U S West, the dominant local phone company in 14 states from Minnesota to Washington, will host its annual shareholder meeting Tuesday, May 11 at the Hudson Theater in Manhattan. |
