Advertisement

It's wait and see with push-to-talk

Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0

As one operator takes the lead with walkie-talkie services, others are holding out for open standards

Several Hong Kong mobile-phone operators are eyeing push-to-talk services but are reluctant to follow New World Mobility's lead until the industry adopts open standards that will allow competing handsets to communicate with each other.

New World Mobility will be the first operator to launch the walkie-talkie service, which enables instant communication with one or more users at the touch of a button.

It hopes to unveil the service next month as its target market - teenagers who like to keep in touch via two-way radios - prepares to go back to school.

The company has chosen Nokia as its vendor and plans to introduce four handsets made by the Finnish phonemaker in the third quarter.

At present, Nokia handsets can talk only to other Nokia phones, raising concerns among operators who do not want to be locked into using a single vendor.

Advertisement