SmarTone joins froup of international operators to promote standard for next
SmarTone Mobile Communications has joined a group of international operators to work together to promote one standard for the next generation of cellular phones.
The company is the only company from Hong Kong so far to sign the agreement which also includes the likes of British Telecom, France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, Singapore Telecom, Telecom Italia, NTT Mobile communications Network and Sweden's Telia.
Third generation mobiles will allow much higher capacity of information to be delivered over the airwaves, opening up the possibility of video-hand phones and the delivery of wire-free, high-speed, multi-media services.
The grouping of operators want to work together to establish one worldwide technology which would bring economies of scale for implementation and development and allow full global roaming for customers.
At present there are conflicting ideas for standards and specifications which stand in the way of achieving this.
SmarTone recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Japan's cellular giant NTT DoCoMo, the leading proponent of third-generation technology. ANDREW CHETHAM
