Cingular Readies New Wireless Web Services
By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 5/27/2002
Atlanta— Cingular Wireless is moving ahead to launch GSM service over its 850MHz cellular band and to offer a wireless Internet service that turns a wireless phone into a modem for laptops and PDAs.
In one development, Cingular completed its first 850MHz GSM call outside of a lab. The carrier plans to convert its 850MHz markets to GSM from TDMA to match its 1.9GHz GSM markets.
In the other development, Cingular said it expects June availability of its latest data service, which will let users connect a GSM, TDMA or GSM/GPRS wireless phone to a portable computing device to access a corporate Intranet, share files, browse the Web, and manage corporate e-mail. The service, called Data Connect, will complement the handset-based Wireless Internet and Wireless Internet Express services, which let users display Web content on a phone's handset and retrieve POP3 e-mail from a corporate or ISP e-mail server.
Two Data Connect kits will be available only through Cingular-owned stores and its direct-sales force. They will carry retail prices of $19.99 for the needed CD-ROM application software and $49.99 for the software plus a serial or USB connection between a phone and the computing device.
Also in June, the company will offer a new service over its Mobitex data-only network to enterprises that use Research In Motion devices. The service, called Express Mail Goodlink Edition, delivers over-the-air e-mail synchronization to RIM devices and lets the devices display attachments. It's for Microsoft Exchange servers only. The service is compatible with RIM devices already in use by enterprises.
Goodlink service over GPRS to wireless phones and to Handspring' Treo PDA-phones will be available late this year or early next.
Earlier this year, the carrier reduced pricing on its Blackberry e-mail services. The retail for the small-screen RIM 950 fell to $249 from $399, and for the big-screen RIM 957 to $299 from $499, to broaden the user base. For the devices, Blackberry service pricing was likewise reduced, with an unlimited pricing plan at $44.99 changed to reflect user's actual usage.
New plans are $39.99/month for 2MB of e-mail and $34.99 for 1MB. Peer-to-peer messaging plans were also reduced. The pricing plans will also be available for Express Mail Goodlink Edition.
