SingTel to offer 3G services by end of year
RELATED SYMBOLS: (SGTJY)
SINGAPORE, Jan 14, 2003 (Kyodo via COMTEX) -- Singapore Telecommunications Ltd.
(SingTel) will offer third generation (3G) mobile services by the end of this
year, a senior company official said Tuesday.
SingTel Mobile, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SingTel, will award a contract for
construction and development of its 3G mobile network by mid-year and offer
selected 3G services by year's end, Lucas Chow, SingTel Mobile chief executive
officer, said in a speech.
Two Japanese companies, NEC Corp. and Itochu Corp., are part of a consortium
that also includes Siemens IC Mobile, which has been shortlisted to compete with
two other entities, Nokia and Ericsson, in the 3G tender.
Singapore's telecom watchdog, the Infocomm Development Authority, has given an
ultimatum of the end of next year for the major telcos in Singapore to roll out
their 3G services.
3G is a new technology that offers the speed and bandwidth for applications such
as video telephony, real-time videoconferencing and broadband Internet access
for mobile phones. But its launch has been stalled by the uncertainties dogging
the telecom industry worldwide.
SingTel Mobile said in mid-2002 that it had decided to postpone the award of the
contract for construction and development of its 3G mobile network. But it added
that it expected to be able to offer 3G services on a selective basis in 2003.
2003 Kyodo News (c) Established 1945
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KEYWORD: SINGAPORE
(Wall Street)
Daniel Nieves
