GSM World Congress: High-speed mobile data technology is expected to come to market in the UK this year, but users may find handsets hard to find.

At the GSM World Congress in Cannes this week, phone giant Ericsson said its general packet radio service (GPRS) handsets would not be widely available until next year. However, announcements and demonstrations by Samsung, Alcatel and Lucent indicate an earlier arrival for the technology.

GPRS technology boosts the speed at which data can be transmitted across a mobile network from 9.6Kbps to a potential 170Kbps. BT Cellnet expects to launch the first GPRS service in the UK this summer. Motorola has previously said its GPRS handsets would be ready in time.

Ericsson said that it will launch its GPRS handsets at the end of 2000, but the phones are expected to be available in volume by early 2001. The company said it will base the GPRS phones on its Internet R320 model, to be released in the next few months. The phones will contain wireless application protocol (Wap) technology for viewing Internet-style content.

Samsung launched its GPRS mobile handset today, which the electronics giant said will come to market this summer. The multi-slot Class 8 handset is based on Lucent's Sceptre 3 chipset and Optimay GPRS protocol software.

Alcatel plans to demonstrate a live GPRS network at the GSM World Congress using its Evoliumt product. The company said the demonstrations will show that the technology has reached maturity. Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and Oracle demonstrated mobile Internet applications running over the Alcatel network.

Wap-enabled services for both businesses and consumers were also launched in Cannes. Alcaltel unveiled its Wap-enabled dual-band handset for the consumer market. The One Touch View W@p handset uses the Wap 1.1 standard and a microbrowser from Phone.com.

Dutch bank Postbank said it will offer mobile stock trading through Wap in the Netherlands. During a six-month trial, Dutch stock traders will use the Ericsson R230 Wap mobile phone and the Libertel mobile network to gain stock information and place live orders.

Siemens said that it has joined forces with Internet service provider Yahoo! Europe to provide access to Wap services for Siemens phone and companion users. Web portal Excite UK said today that it will launch Excite Mobile, a Wap service which will be available with BT Cellnet and Vodafone.

See also:

High speed mobiles will disappoint most

Mobile phone customers awaiting the promise of high-speed mobile data services will be left disappointed and disillusioned by slow and patchy services, according to analysts.  24 May 2000

Orange snubs mobile giants for UK startup

UK mobile operator Orange has recruited a Cambridge-based startup to develop devices for accessing its high-speed wireless data services.  17 May 2000

The future's not Nokia for Orange

Orange has defected from long-term supplier Nokia and chosen arch-rival Ericsson to provide packet-based mobile multimedia services through general packet radio service (GPRS) technology.  24 Mar 2000

Ericsson Chatboard

Typing SMS messages into your phone is a laborious business, but the Chatboard, a small keyboard that plugs onto most Ericsson phones, is the ideal solution.  01 Mar 2000

Siemens/Newbridge alliance survives Alcatel takeover

Users who bought Newbridge Networks equipment from the company's partner, Siemens, have been assured that they will not be left stranded following Alcatel's acquisition of Newbridge.  25 Feb 2000

AOL Europe develops content for mobile phones

AOL Europe, the European joint venture between Bertelsmann and America Online (AOL), has confirmed that it is developing Internet content compatible with mobile phones.  07 Feb 2000

Wap phones are slow and expensive, says analyst

Users of Internet-enabled mobile phones are complaining of expensive bills and slow response times, just weeks after the phones were launched in the UK.  28 Jan 2000

Orange plans high-speed alternative to GPRS

Orange today dismissed hype surrounding next generation 'data only' wireless networks, as it launched its own alternative mobile data service that runs on top of its existing voice network.  29 Nov 1999

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