Sprint, SBC Sign Roaming Pact
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Sprint and SBC Communications on Aug. 27 announced a reciprocal Wireless Fidelity Internet service roaming agreement that will provide their customers access to each other's public Wi-Fi networks.
Under the agreement, customers will be able to roam on the Wi-Fi networks of each company using their existing user IDs and passwords. Service charges will be billed according to the customers' current billing agreements. Sprint-owned Wi-Fi locations include the Kansas City, Salt Lake City, and Louisville International airports; the Addison, Tex., convention center; and the Tysons Corner, Va., shopping center. The SBC FreedomLink Wi-Fi network encompasses more than 2,300 hot spots nationwide including airports, hotels, coffee shops, and The UPS Store and MailBoxes Etc. locations. The parties expect to complete integration efforts and enable roaming at the respective venues as soon as possible.
The roaming agreement with SBC Internet Services (SBCIS) signals industry cooperation vital to increasing Wi-Fi service ubiquity for users seeking Internet connectivity, access to corporate networks or e-mail access via Wi-Fi-enabled laptops or PDAs. This is the second major service provider roaming contract signed by Sprint, which earlier reached agreement with AT&T Wireless regarding reciprocal airport property Wi-Fi access.
"Roaming is crucial to the Wi-Fi customer experience and growth of the Wi-Fi service marketplace," explained Roberta Wiggins of The Yankee Group. "Carrier cooperation should be the catalyst for wider adoption and increased convenience for the user."
Sprint is focusing on providing Wi-Fi services in high-traffic areas such as airports, hotels, convention centers and other public venues where customers tend to need it most and can derive the greatest benefit. The company has more than 2,600 Wi-Fi hot spots where Sprint PCS Wi-Fi Access service is currently available chiefly through roaming agreements in effect across the United States and Canada with a number of industry players, including AT&T Wireless, AirPath, WayPort, STSN and TruckStop.net. Sprint also is pursuing other Wi-Fi opportunities beyond today's announcement, representing a variety of locations that cater to both business and consumer audiences. Sprint will make at least 10,000 hot spots available to its customers by yearend.
The SBC FreedomLink service is part of an integrated effort to meet customer demand for a comparable broadband experience in the home, office or on the road. To meet this goal, SBC companies plan to make available more than 20,000 Wi-Fi hot spots to FreedomLink customers by the end of 2006 and work with Cingular Wireless to use Wi-Fi and Cingular's wireless network to deliver coverage that enables customers to enjoy a comparable broadband experience at home, in the office and on the road.
MAAWG: Strength in Numbers
WILMINGTON, Del. – The Messaging Anti-Abuse Working Group (MAAWG), a group of communications and technology companies committed to solving spam, viruses, and other forms of messaging abuse in both wireline and mobile applications, announced Aug. 25 that the reach of its membership now spans more than 100 million subscribers internationally with the addition of BellSouth, Earthlink, and Verizon Online to the working group.
The companies join a consortiun that also includes Bell Canada, Charter Communications, Cloudmark, Cox Communications, Goodmail Systems, Internet Initiative Japan, Openwave Systems, and TDS Telecom/TDS Metrocom.
"We have come a long way since the inception of MAAWG last December," said Rich Wong, Chairman of MAAWG and general manager at Openwave. "As we continue to grow our membership, we are strengthening the communications industry's capability to proactively address messaging abuse."
MAAWG is dedicated to solving messaging abuse by working along three initiatives: collaboration across operators, best practices technology, and providing an industry voice into public policy. Members of MAAWG are working collaboratively to address and mitigate messaging abuse problems – including spam, viruses, forgery, fraud, and other malicious attacks – affecting both broadband and mobile service providers and their customers.
"As part of an industry committed to improving customers' online experiences and security, we must cooperate to find solutions for eliminating spam and viruses," said Dale Malik, director of product management at BellSouth.
Added Tripp Cox, chief technology officer for EarthLink, "We are pleased to join MAAWG in the fight against messaging abuse. Strength lies in numbers."
World's Largest Non-Line-of-Site Network Bows Down Under
SYDNEY – Unwired Australia Pty Limited, Australia's leading provider of low cost, high-speed wireless broadband, has launched its wireless broadband service here using technology from Navini Networks, Inc., a leading provider of non-line-of-sight, zero-install wide-area wireless broadband technology. Navini Networks wireless broadband technology is the platform for Unwired's delivery of broadband services to the Australian wholesale and retail market.
Navini and Unwired completed the first phase of the network rollout in just seven months. Unwired's network, at 3.5 million potential Sydney users and covering more than 1,200 square miles, is the largest broadband wireless network in Australia, as well as the largest non- line-of-sight broadband wireless network in the world.
In addition to the initial roll out in Sydney, Unwired has targeted Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and other key regions in Australia for service expansion. That expansion will take place after the Sydney customer base is established.
"Customer feedback on the network has been overwhelmingly positive," said David Spence, chief executive officer of Unwired. "A true 'plug-and-play' solution is something this area has craved for a while now.
First FOMA Handset for Use Outside Japan Due in 2005
TOKYO – NTT DoCoMo Inc., Motorola Inc., and Motorola Japan Ltd. announced this week that they have signed an agreement to jointly develop a FOMA handset targeting business users by taking advantage of high-speed 3G FOMA technologies. The new handset, which is compatible with GSM/GPRS technologies, will be the first FOMA model that may be used outside of Japan. Commercialization is scheduled for spring 2005.
Unlike i-mode-capable phones, the handset will enable access to the Internet through mopera or any other available Internet connection service. What's more, its browser will be able to display standard web pages. In addition, the new handset will be compatible with public wireless LAN services offered by DoCoMo and other providers, enabling users in hotspots to enjoy high-speed internet access at fixed rates.
The handset also can be used to view e-mail attachments created in formats such as Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and PowerPoint. The model will support Bluetooth connectivity for remote control via a laptop or PDA for dialup to the Internet or for convenient hands-free operation using a headset. In addition, the phone will be compatible with Personal Information Management (PIM).
Who Wants to be a Mobile Millionaire?
LONDON – Celador International, licensor and distributor of some of the world's most popular television programs, and CMate, a connected mobile gaming specialist, announced this week an agreement under which CMate will develop and launch a connected one-on-one version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" for mobile users.
Under the terms of the agreement CMate will exclusively develop and operate "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" connected mobile multiplayer games. By integrating with mobile operators, CMate's unique gaming technology allows users to challenge each other to a real-time game of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" for either points or real money. Mobile users will be able to play against each other using JAVA or WAP.
Celador International's interactive division includes an award-winning catalogue of applications across all platforms – facilitating the use of pioneering technology developed specifically to support on- and off-air formats.
Bruce Vandenberg, director of interactive media at Celador International said, "This is the ultimate challenge for 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' fans. Players can now compete for supremacy via their mobiles. We are delighted with the multiplayer application developed with CMate and look forward to the games' certain success."
Music News Goes Mobile in a Big Way
LONDON – A new mobile daily music news publication launched Aug. 25. "Daily Music News" is published five days a week (Monday to Friday) and is delivered in the early evening to the inbox on subscribers' mobile phones.
Unlike existing SMS "text alert" services which are limited to just 160 characters, "Daily Music News" is a downloadable document with more than 20 pages of breaking news and announcements, gigs and tours, guides and tickets, single and album reviews, music industry news, festival news, and exclusive interviews.
Editor Tony Meineck says: "To subscribe, all you need to do is text the word 'Go' to 60011, and to cancel just text 'Stop' to 60011. It's as simple as that! The only technical bit is that your phone must be WAP-enabled.
"If you subscribe now you'll get it free of charge until October. There really is no catch. We just want people to see it for themselves. After that it's only 20 pence per issue – or just a pound a week (plus any network download charges which may apply).
"Daily Music News" is published by Witney Communications Ltd.
