Orange reveals handset with Net access

NEWS Orange has unveiled a mobile handset that will give users high-speed access to the Internet and email before the end of this year. The 7110 Nokia handset - to be launched in September - will offer Internet connection speeds up to 28.8kbps, and will be closely followed in October with a free Internet service. The move marks the start of Orange's drive to displace fixed-line operators for Internet access. The mobile operator also looks set to tackle the business market head-on with a revised business tariffs structure in August that will effectively double available talktime for the same price and will allow up to 100 handsets to be connected to one talk plan. Hans Roger Snook, CEO of Orange, argued: "Our free ISP service, together with these everyday talk options, makes wirefree Internet connection, even at peak time, cheaper than fixed line." Snook added that when it launches its home zone/work zone services at the end of this year, companies will "totally replace fixed wire in their office with wirefree". The connectivity makes use of HSCSD (high-speed circuit switched data) technology and Justine Heys, principal analyst at Yankee Group, believes this will enable Orange to steal a march over its competitors. "Very few operators have decided to deploy HSCSD in Europe, and none, other than Orange, have plans to do so in the UK. One2One and BT Cellnet are waiting for GPRS [General Packet Radio System] and that won't be commercially available for about a year. There is definitely an advantage to being the first to market with a service like this," she said. But, she added: "Demand is going to be very small to start with but the usage of SMS (Short Message Service) suggests that the demand is there. I suspect it will be a niche market - business users in particular - that will take it up first." The announcement came as the mobile operator posted its latest subscription rates, claiming it is nearing a three million customer base.