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Technology Stocks : Qualcomm Moderated Thread - please read rules before posting -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: foundation who wrote (12979)	7/17/2001 4:39:21 PM
From: Kent Rattey	Respond to of 197381

Stateside GPRS launched, all dressed up, anywhere to go? By Andrew Orlowski Posted: 17/07/2001 at 19:12 GMT The much trumpeted 2.5G wireless data standard is now available in the US, as of today. Although now you'll have to look pretty hard to find it. AT&T Wireless has launched a service in the Seattle area for business subscribers, and promises to launch in "markets covering" 40 per cent of the US population by the end of the year, and 100 per cent by the end of 2002. Note the sensible qualification, there. As US cellular users know only too well, maintaining decent 2G coverage even in densely populated strips such as the Valley's 101 Freeway out of San Jose is a minor miracle. Motorola chimed in with an announcement of the first GPRS handset the Timeport 7382i, but better devices are in the pipeline. The 7382i is basically the triband IrDA Timeport 250 in a new livery. And that device is really little different externally to the venerable Timeport 7000 series. But we've been playing with Moto's Accompli 008 communicator for some time - which is yer classic StarTac styling only with some Palm-like PIM functionality. It's much more of a viable showcase for what a GPRS can deliver. As for the service itself, it's $50 per month which includes 400 voice minutes, but only a paltry 1MB of data. Each additional kilobyte incurs an extra fee. The handset itself will be $199.99. Only a couple of months ago here, AT&T's own pricing guru Andrew Odlyzko described such usage based tariffs for always-on services as insane. (AT&T Wireless formally split from Ma Bell last week). But this is a business service, and so it comes with thumbscrews. Now while Europe grows weary of wireless hype and is tentative about the prospect of 2.5G data – particularly with the extortionate early pricing schemes mirrored by AT&TW's Seattle plan – there's still a tremendous amount of latent interest in a service which promises to trickle data into a personal device twenty four hours a day. For North Americans however, this is rather old hat. It's one area where in comparison to the rest of the world, US wireless delivers an excellent service in the form of CDPD. GPRS for now won't offer any speed improvements of CDPD. Forget talk of 115 kbps – 20 kbps is much more realistic. So if you're a Nextel data subscriber there'll be little incentive to change. The road to 3G services in the US – of which GPRS via EDGE forms an important milestone – makes the current 2G tangle in US look trivial. But the current uncertain prospects for 3G – Nomura analyst Keith Woolcock calls it a "monumental wind-up" – mean that you should pay more attention to these spaghetti roadmaps than you thought you wanted to. 2.5G could be around for a very long time. ®

To: foundation who wrote (12979)	7/17/2001 4:39:53 PM
From: slacker711	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 197381

The AT&T salesperson said that they wouldn't have handsets for the new network for a FEW MONTHS. This probably explains why I have been unable to find the handset approved by the FCC. I'm not surprised that handsets arent currently available....but to put out a press release announcing availability of a new handset without FCC approval is absolutely idiotic. Slacker

To: foundation who wrote (12979)	7/17/2001 8:45:06 PM
From: Neeka	Respond to of 197381

Unfortunatly there are NO phones for the network. The AT&T salesperson said that they wouldn't have handsets for the new network for a FEW MONTHS. >>>>>>>>>>>>> I can verify that. It just so happens that we have an ATT store in the little town that I live in just outside of Seattle, so I gave them a call and the story coincides with the one off of TMF board. The sales rep called the manager and said that the MOT guy has not been able to give a date as to when the phone would be available, but her best guess for availability is by the "end of the summer or a few months." She also said "if we don't have it no one else does either." Here's the phone number. 425-402-9797 This annoncement was released today and is posted as written on the Motorola website. Motorola Inc. (ticker: MOT, exchange: New York Stock Exchange) News Release - 17-Jul-2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Motorola and AT&T Wireless First to Deliver GPRS Phone and Service to U.S. Customers; Motorola Timeport 7382i Leverages New GPRS Service Provided by AT&T Wireless SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 2001--Today, Motorola, a global leader in delivering high-speed data solutions, announced the availability of its Timeport(TM) 7382i, the first General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) handset in North America. Motorola's Timeport 7382i and AT&T Wireless' new GSM/GPRS network, will be made available to Seattle businesses and will enable users to experience a faster, "always on" connection to the Internet for the first time. The introduction of GPRS technology in the United States lays the foundation for a gradual evolution to "3G" or third generation wireless technology. GPRS, or 2.5G, is the leading standard being used by GSM network operators to evolve their systems to third generation wireless (3G). GPRS technology provides a fast connection to the Internet, providing the capability for "always on" access. In addition, GPRS technology can offer more efficient and cost effective mobile Internet access because data transmission is sent via packets, and carriers can charge by data sent or retrieved, not airtime incurred. "AT&T Wireless is proud to be working with Motorola to put the next generation of wireless services into the hands of our customers," said Rod Nelson, chief technology officer for AT&T Wireless. "We're on schedule for our move to 3G. Today's launch in Seattle is the first step on making the vision of mobile multimedia services a reality." "Motorola and AT&T Wireless are working together to make GPRS a real benefit for consumers. This means providing the ideal combination of service, applications and handsets," said Tim Cawley, corporate vice president and general manager, North America Region, Motorola Inc. "Our Timeport 7382i is designed to provide consumers with the ultimate mobile communications experience -- both superior voice features and enhanced access to the mobile Internet." Motorola's Timeport 7382i Motorola's Timeport 7382i, the first GPRS handset commercially available in the United States, provides users with a faster, more efficient connection to the Internet and the ability to switch between data mode and voice calls without interrupting the data session. Additionally, the phone features voice activation, Voice Note voice recorder, a WAP-enabled microbrowser, IrDA connectivity and a data port for connectivity to an external device that does not support IrDA. With Starfish TrueSync(R) software, the Timeport 7382i provides one-step multi-point synchronization with many popular PIM devices, desktop applications and services. Motorola introduced the world's first GPRS handset, the Timeport 260 (also known as the Timeport 7389i in the United States), in Europe in March of 2000. Since that time, Motorola has introduced the V.series V66 and Talkabout 192g GPRS handsets in Europe, both of which it is poised to deliver in the United States. Rounding out Motorola's portfolio of six GPRS handsets, are the full-featured Accompli 009, for delivery in the United States, and the Accompli 008, which is currently available in Asia and Europe. About AT&T Wireless AT&T Wireless (NYSE: AWE) operates one of the largest digital wireless networks in North America. With more than 15.7 million consolidated subscribers, and full-year 2000 revenues exceeding $10 billion, AT&T Wireless is committed to being among the first to deliver the next generation of wireless products and services. Today, we offer customers high-quality wireless communications services, whether mobile or fixed, voice or data, to businesses or consumers, in the U.S. and internationally. AT&T Wireless Customer Advantage is our commitment to ensure that customers have the right equipment, the right calling plan, and the right customer services options -- today and tomorrow. For more information, visit us at www.attwireless.com. About Motorola Motorola Inc (NYSE: MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications and embedded electronic solutions. Sales in 2000 were $37.6 billion. CONTACT: Motorola Inc. Julie Cordua, 847/523-0015 julie.cordua@motorola.com or Motorola Media Intelligence Center Shannon Swallow, 323/966-5639 mmic@hillandknowlton.com or AT&T Wireless Ritch Blasi, 908/696-4242 ritch.blasi@attws.com Isn't that kind of like getting a TV without a screen? M