Hong Kong mobile operator SmarTone-Vodafone launches Hong Kong’s first commercial mobile broadband service with full HSDPA coverage in Hong Kong, pioneering the technology in the Greater China region.

This launch follows the successful upgrade by Ericsson of SmarTone-Vodafone’s 3G/WCDMA network with HSDPA.

The upgrade to HSDPA enables SmarTone-Vodafone to deliver true broadband speed of up to 1.8Mbps to laptops, and introduce its customers to a new generation of mobile broadband services with true mobility and real freedom to move. At this stage, users will be able to download five times faster than the current 3G connection using existing PC-cards, and 20 times faster than with a GSM/GPRS connection. Under the agreement, Ericsson has delivered HSDPA hardware, software and implementation services.

Douglas Li, CEO of SmarTone-Vodafone, says: “We are pleased to be the first operator in Hong Kong as well as the Greater China region to offer mobile broadband with full HSDPA coverage throughout the territory. The launch represents what real 3G can achieve and demonstrates how 3G with HSDPA can bring substantially better benefits to both business users and consumers through our Mobile Broadband service.”

Johan Adler, President of Ericsson Hong Kong, says: “We are proud to support SmarTone-Vodafone with the introduction of HSDPA services, bringing this key technology to Hong Kong consumers at a very early stage. SmarTone-Vodafone’s early launch of HSDPA underlines their innovative profile and will gear their network with the most advanced functionalities and services.”

This is another significant step in the long-standing, successful partnership between Ericsson and SmarTone-Vodafone, following the 3G launch in Hong Kong in 2004. Ericsson has previously been selected by SmarTone-Vodafone as sole supplier of Core and Radio Networks, including GPRS and WCDMA/3G.

Ericsson’s HSDPA solution will enable peak download speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps. The advanced technology offers operators more than double the system capacity and makes response times for interactive services faster. SmarTone-Vodafone is planning to upgrade to a maximum speed of 14.4 Mbps by 2007/08.

Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.

Subscribers to the flat fee system of wireless Internet services may now have free access to some of the services provided by Nate without the burden of being charged a separate data usage fee.

SK Telecom announced the launch of the “VIP Zone” service from the 25th, through which subscribers of the flat fee wireless Internet service would be able to enjoy various popular contents from Nate for free, such as news, video, ring tones, and photographs.

As subscribers to wireless Internet flat fee services (Data Safe Flat Fee, Data Free, Nate Free) can freely access desired content without being charged a usage fee, apart from the connection fee, customers will have reduced cost burdens for using wireless Internet.

‘VIP Zone’ is full of useful content and dynamic information, including
1) recent news and sports updates, topic UCC video content, stock quotes, weather and other information that is updated real time;
2) video content such as on air TV, popular drama episodes, and new movie previews;
3) phone accessory services including music, ring tones, pictures, games; and
4) shopping, auctions, and various contest entry opportunities, thus providing numerous services along with the benefit of free usage.

VIP Zone services consist of contents purchased directly by SK Telecom from a contents provider, free contents provided by CPs for the purpose of promotion, and highly popular content among those calculated based on usage volume. Through this service, SK Telecom expects to enhance satisfaction of flat fee users that were hesitant about using contents due to the data usage fee, despite the lower data connection fee.

Also, the UI of fixed line Internet has been applied to ‘VIP Zone’, with a design that enables the major contents to be immediately viewable on the first screen upon connection, and an image menu that captures attention to the service interface.

“We plan on continuing to improve and develop VIP Zone so that flat fee wireless Internet users may enjoy access to diverse content without the burden of usage charges, and adopt wireless Internet as a useful tool in everyday life,” remarked SK Telecom’s Head of Data Business Division, Managing Director Kim Soo-Il.

VIP Zone can be used by accessing “VIP Zone” in the menu on Nate’s first page, or connecting to **000+Nate.

Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT), a global leader in wireless communications, announced at the 4th Annual China Digital Entertainment Expo & Conference (ChinaJoy 2006) today the official opening of MOTOGames, a virtual hypermart for China’s mobile phone users to discover, download, share and enjoy games, read gaming information, make use of a range of community services, and enjoy a superior gaming experience.

“Several hundred Java and BREW games are released every month to China’s 370+ million subscriber mobile population, but finding them and making your selection can be a daunting task for any mobile gamer,” said Ian Chapman-Banks, Motorola vice president and general manager for marketing, North Asia, Mobile Devices. “MOTOGames, on a single, easy to use website, offers users fast access to a wide selection of top quality mobile games, an interactive gamer community, and updated and complete gaming information.”

MOTOGames works seamlessly with your handset to offer exclusive gaming content and trial versions of games for download via WAP or your PC. MOTOGames also makes it simple to purchase full versions of other games via both MIDC (the specially-developed “My E680g Zone” on Monternet) and CMCC MagicBox (China Mobile’s platform for game downloads). All you have to do is follow the links to the games and content that you want – MOTOGames takes care of the rest.

Accessible via the Internet (www.motogames.com.cn), or WAP (wap.motogames.com.cn), MOTOGames features up-to-date gaming news and information, a full search function, games briefings, a strong BBS community, and of course instant access to a vast catalogue of games for your Motorola handset.

This launch, along with the recent announcement of Motorola’s partnership with Shanda Interactive Entertainment on exclusive mobile versions of Shanda’s hugely popular World of Legend and Magical Land games, marks the final piece of Motorola’s complete mobile gaming ecosystem. Motorola’s environment now covers first-class handsets, a full support infrastructure and compelling gaming content, all linked seamlessly.

“Mobile gaming is the favorite application for young mobile users and is an ever-growing industry in China,” said Chapman-Banks. “Currently 94% of China’s mobile phone users have phones that include a gaming feature, and 83% of China mobile phone users play games on those handsets. The demand will only continue to increase and Motorola offers gamers the only complete and seamless gaming experience, from iconic handsets, to a fast and simple infrastructure, to the latest and most popular gaming content.”

MOTOGames is supported by a new a cutting-edge handset designed specifically for mobile gamers – the Motorola E680g, announced today at ChinaJoy 2006. The E680g bundles a complete set of game-focused features into one palmsize package, including 3D graphics and sound, portable and downloadable J2METM games, 8-way navigation and gaming keys, simultaneous key press, full landscape view, multi-channel audio supports for MIDI background music and vibration effects, bringing you the first truly immersive gaming experience on a handset.

“Until today, mobile phone gamers have frequently been limited by their device, with many phones not supporting game downloads or having limited memory capacity,” Chapman-Banks continued. “With the arrival of the E680g, which has been specifically engineered and tailored for Mobile gamers, Motorola meets and then surpasses all expectations for a mobile gaming phone.”

Gamers will feel right at home with the E680g’s key features: a brilliant 240 x 320 color screen, 3D stereo speakers, a large internal memory as well as room for removable SD memory cards. In addition, Motorola has included all the features that have made our handsets, such as an integrated MP3 player, and integrated VGA camera with 8X zoom, as well as MPEG4 video capture and playback.

Through close relationships with Shanda, and Monternet, Motorola offers truly seamless mobile gaming. Access to the latest gaming content has never been simpler. With one simple click of a pre-installed WAP bookmark on the E680g, you are transported directly to MIDC. Here, you can search for game introductions, read reviews, and of course download demos or purchase full versions of a huge number of popular mobile games, all via your E680g.

“As the only mobile handset manufacturer to attend ChinaJoy 2006, Motorola is in a unique position to reflect our understanding of the need for a complete mobile gaming ecosystem, and to set out clearly and simply how we have achieved precisely that goal,” Chapman-Banks concluded. “We are confident that when a powerful gaming handset like the E680g is combined with MOTOGames, Motorola becomes not only the consumers’ choice of mobile handset, but also the provider of the best, and most comprehensive user experience.”