"I-mode becomes step to 3G"
The bosses of KPN Mobile is a Belgian, and on CeBIT asof the first, its camber might do. Guy Demuynck gave closed that the roll-out of i-fashion in the voorbije year not everywhere a large success was, but promised a new approach. The platform gets the support of new apparatuses and is KPN Mobile's step to 3G. In Belgi, that will last however yet just. Firstly its Germany and then the Netherlands at the turn.
Demuynck, former senior official with Philips, posited the position that the section user stands to stamp for mobile broad tie. That is a conclusion that opera towers already much before made, but the money was missing the necessary third generation networks in the air to bring. On CeBIT is not the KPN Mobile-boss the only that again dares finished with 3G to come.
Yet it will not walk such speed. “The kosteffectief to make, will UMTS initially only available be in urban areas and place where many men live”, said Demynck. He praised therefore that there a role is for for complementary WiFi-hotspots, something true KPN Mobile self also with will occupy. The entry to the different networks must happen via the phone number.
KPN Mobile holds currently live Tests of UMTS in Berlin and Dusseldorf. The providing of a service follows from next year. “Roll-out will in 2003 and 2004 take place in Germany, the Netherlands stands programmed for 2004. Belgi follows later on.”
Broad tie on self is not enough, said the KPN Mobile-senior official. The i-fashion platform must furnish the necessary earnings. That is now all the case: via the sale of subscriptions on i-fashion sites and other services, brings each customer in the three land extra earnings (ARPU) of 6 until 8 Euros in.
I-fashion counts meanwhile 236,000 subscribers in Belgi, Germany and the Netherlands. It is however a public secret that i-fashion in Belgi, where the much later on launched became, much less good starts. In that comes now alteration, sounds it with Boss. Where the operator end last year a 2.000-tal customers bred, will now 6,000 men have been subscribed. Yet till the fall will Boss self occupy with the upgraden of its network, there for to see to that i-fashion also indoors everywhere good works.,. That saw to there among many furrow that Boss for the first time in its history came down with a positive EBITDA, accountancypraat for “we will profit make as we no loads and other ongein had to pay”.
KPN Mobile/Boss had long time also buthandset. And that was a mistake, gave Demuynck to. “The relative long period withapparatus meant that we not all segments of the market optimally reached; we learned also that our marketing approach and price structure must be focused.”
The solution” Much more hand sets, below which for the first time of manufacturers as Nokia, Mitsubishi and Siemens, and a sturdy international PR-campaign. I-fashion gets also MMS-possibilities, possibly somewhere in the spring.
Over the new hand sets for i-fashion, you read elsewhere more on socraweb