Europe
: Telenor opened its new UMTS mobile network for commercial use. The
network offers very high data transmission speeds, and Telenor Mobil's
customers will have access to third generation mobile services such
as video calls and Mobile TV. At the time of launch, the network covers
70 cities and densely populated areas in Norway.
"It
is with a feeling of pride and excitement that we now embark upon
a new era in Norwegian mobile history. Norwegians are among the world
leaders in adopting advanced mobile services, and the potential of
such services has now been made significantly greater. At the time
of launch, the new network covers approximately half of Norway's population,
and we are committed to continue our network rollout as planned,"
said CEO Jon Fredrik Baksaas ( inset above ) of Telenor.
UMTS
stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. The new technology
will give customers of Telenor Mobil even better access to the new
mobile services commonly known under the heading 3G services. This
involves opportunities for transmissions of live images, and faster
Internet connection speeds than what customers have been accustomed
to from existing mobile systems.
At the
time of launch, Telenor's UMTS network covers more than two million
people in 70 cities and densely populated areas. By March 2005, 132
cities and densely populated areas will be covered, and all areas
with more than 200 people will have full coverage by 2007.
During
an introductory phase, Telenor Mobil customers will be able to make
video calls free of charge. During the campaign period, customers
in the consumer market will not be charged more than NOK 5 per day
for Mobile TV and other Internet access (packet switched).
Facts
about 3G services:
To enjoy
access to the new 3G services, customers will need EDGE or UMTS handsets,
and users must be within an area that has 3G coverage. Mobile phones
that support Telenor's 3G services will be easy to identify in sales
outlets, and customers should have few problems finding the right
models.
Regular
phone calls will be charged as today, depending on subscription plan.
From next year, regular consumer prices will be NOK 20 per downloaded
MB, with a maximum limit of NOK 30 per day. Video calls will be charged
NOK 2.24 (Post-paid) and NOK 3.74 (Prepaid) per minute, in addition
to a NOK 0.99 start up fee. Regular business prices will be NOK 10
per MB for the first 50 MB per month, and NOK 8 per MB exceeding 50
MB. A full price list will be made available on our web site.