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Technology Stocks : Vodafone-Airtouch (NYSE: VOD) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MrGreenJeans who wrote (2984)	10/5/2000 7:55:43 AM
From: MrGreenJeans	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3175

COM) 05/10/00 09:58: Libertel CEO sees 500,000 users for Vizzavi portal next year Libertel CEO sees 500,000 users for Vizzavi portal next year AMSTERDAM (AFX) - Libertel Groep NV expects that Vizzavi, the internet portal developed by Vivendi and Vodafone Group PLC in which it is to hold a 20 pct stake, will have 500,000 users next year, De Telegraaf cited Libertel CEO John de Wit as saying. The company said yesterday it expects the first version of Vizzavi to be available to Libertel customers before the end of this year. Of Libertel's 1.6 bln nfl investment in UMTS, De Wit said: "Everyone keeps saying that we paid a really low price compared to what had to be paid in the UK and Germany, but the sum is almost as high as Versatel's (1.8 bln nfl) total investment in the last five years." This is excluding the further 4 bln nfl investment in infrastructure that will be required. Turning to WAP, De Wit said the results so far have been disappointing internationally as customers experience the service as being too slow, "and quite rightly so." "People want services and technologies now which cannot yet be commercially realised," he said, adding that for example WAP via GPRS will not be available until the second half of next year. De Wit said Libertel will change its name to Libertel-Vodafone from the beginning of next year in the interests of "global positioning". "Or 'glocalisation'. It's a hideous word, but it is a good indication of what it's all about. While customers like the feeling of belonging to a world leader, they are at the same time most interested in what's going on in their own environment, and we have to take that into account," he said. De Wit said he cannot rule out that the Libertel name will eventually disappear altogether. Libertel is 70 pct owned by Vodafone Airtouch Group PLC. fjh/cjs/cw/jfb