First For Vodafone With GPRS Roaming Demonstration

Vodafone UK today reinforced its commitment to deploying international services for its customers, with the first successful European demonstration of GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) roaming, in conjunction with Netherlands operator Libertel N.V. and Ericsson.

The demonstration, which took place in Newbury, Berkshire between Vodafone's UK GPRS network and Libertel's GPRS network in the Netherlands, showed how GPRS customers will experience seamless access to services when travelling abroad.

Using a Vodafone handset roaming on the Libertel network, the demonstration accessed WAP services from Vodafone Interactive, which offers customers a range of internet services via a mobile handset including email and personal customised news, weather and sports information. The Dutch mobile roamed onto the UK GPRS network to access Dutch WAP services (Libertel Open) and the intranet.

Richard Jarvis, Managing Director, Vodafone Value Added & Data Services, commented: "This demonstration is a very significant step towards Vodafone's deployment of GPRS services later this year. Roaming over GPRS will give our customers fast and easy access to email and information services that they are used to receiving at home, so there is no reason to miss the football or lottery results whilst on holiday. Travelling employees will be able to access corporate databases, their corporate LAN and internet facilities via a mobile handset, wherever they are in the world."

GPRS will initially offer the opportunity for data speeds to a maximum of five times faster than is possible today, matching those attainable on a dial-up PSTN connection, eventually faster than ISDN. It uses the efficiency of packet switching and is particularly suited for remote access to office based systems hosting Intranet content and databases and WAP-based consumer services. GPRS will also enhance access to the wide range of WAP-based services being introduced through Vodafone Interactive.

In addition to increased data speeds, GPRS uniquely offers users the benefit of being "always connected" to the remote service. Once logged on, terminals remain 'on-line', even if they move in and out of coverage, whether at home or abroad. Data, such as job details, email and up-to-date financial news can be sent and received instantly, without incurring the overheads of a permanent connection or the inconvenience of continually dialling up to reconnect.

Using Ericsson technology, Vodafone and Libertel started working together towards GPRS deployment at the end of 1999. The objective of the project is to develop new applications and services based on the GPRS technology. Vodafone's development of GPRS will continue throughout 2000, with the introduction of GPRS services to its customers towards the end of the year. GPRS-compatible handsets are expected to be widely available from Q1 2001.