November 21, 2003

New Wireless Service from AT&T

AT&T Wireless launches EDGE service. Targets higher data transfer speeds

LAS VEGAS - U.S. mobile phone operator AT&T Wireless Services Inc. began offering services on its EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution) network Tuesday, promising higher data transfer speeds than any of its competitors with a national network.

The EDGE upgrade on its network allows users to transfer data with average speeds of between 100K bps (bits per second) and 130K bps, up to twice as fast as rival Sprint PCS on its "so-called 3G" service and three times faster than wired dial-up, AT&T Wireless executives said in a news conference at the Comdex trade show in Las Vegas.

The ability to provide connections faster than 100K bps is key to business users, John Zeglis chairman and chief executive officer of AT&T Wireless said. "We have broken the speed barrier and we believe we have a distinct advantage in attracting and retaining customers," he said.

The AT&T Wireless EDGE service is available across the U.S. where AT&T Wireless offers GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) coverage, Zeglis said. Further expansion is planned, including in Canada where Rogers AT&T Wireless is upgrading its network, he said.

Limited use subscription plans for the EDGE service start at $19.99 and go up to $59.99 where the user gets 40M-byte data transfer allowance, said Andre Dahan president of mobile multimedia services at AT&T Wireless. An unlimited data transfer plan costs $79.99 monthly, he said.

Together with the service launch, AT&T announced the availability of a PC card for notebook computer users from Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB. The card costs $149.99 when bought with a two-year contract and after an unspecified rebate, AT&T Wireless said in a statement.

"The business for us is really laptop based, I think we will see mostly laptop adoption in the early phase," Zeglis said. AT&T Wireless would not give specific targets for the take up of its new service.

Still, in addition to the PC card, AT&T also sells the Nokia Corp. 6200 phone with EDGE support. In 2004 more hardware supporting the upgraded network will become available and AT&T Wireless is readying a new mMode plan that will allow users to download more information on the handset, including pictures and video clips, the company said.

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Posted by Craig at November 21, 2003 02:33 PM