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.

Adds premium concept to 165 Nokia stores and over 45 000 retail outlets in China

Nokia today announced the grand opening of the first Nokia Flagship Store in Asia. Located on Russell Street, Causeway Bay, the Nokia Flagship Store is prominently positioned in one of the most prestigious shopping districts in Hong Kong. In addition to showcasing the complete portfolio of Nokia products and services, the Flagship Store allows customers to fully experience cutting-edge mobile technology in a comfortable, stylish and interactive environment. The first Nokia Flagship store was opened in the Moscow, Russia in December 2005. Nokia aims to open 18 Nokia Flagship Stores in the “shopping capitals” — high-traffic urban settings in major markets worldwide.

The Flagship store adds a premium concept to Nokia’s leading retail presence in China, which today includes 165 exclusively Nokia branded stores, rolled out since year 2000, and Nokia presence in over 45 000 retail outlets in China

“Hong Kong is a perfect window for Nokia to showcase the flagship store concept in Asia. It allows us to offer unique mobile experiences and inspirations for our customers in the region,” said Colin Giles, Senior Vice President, Customers and Markets Operation, China Area. “Nokia is committed to pushing the boundaries of the retail landscape. By doing so, we could enhance the way mobile communication is experienced and further reinforce our vision of ‘Life Goes Mobile’.”

“With a mobile subscription rate of over 125%, consumers in Hong Kong are highly sophisticated and are looking beyond standalone devices for a converged mobile experience. The Nokia Flagship Store features various ‘experience counters’ in areas including music, imaging, connectivity and business solutions, allowing customers to experience the many benefits of mobility and digital convergence for themselves,” said Bruce Lam, General Manager for Customers, Market & Operations, Mobile Phones, Nokia Hong Kong.

Each Flagship Store is distinctively crafted and enhanced by state-of-the-art multimedia displays. These displays offer a highly interactive and intuitive medium to walk guests through the features and benefits of a wide range of Nokia products. It can even allow customers to send text messages for display on Nokia Flagship Store locations around the world.

Additionally, all Nokia Flagship Store team members are highly trained graduates of Nokia’s award-winning Nokia Academy program. They will provide customers with accurate and personalized guidance on topics ranging from choosing the perfect phone, to applying and maxmizing the functionality of the latest mobile devices.

“Customer focus is at the heart of our strategy and the Nokia Flagship Store enables us to increase our focus at the retail level,” explains Cliff Crosbie, Director, Global Retail and Trade Marketing. “By delivering an exceptional shopping experience unique to the current retail world, we are able to develop more intimate one-to-one customer relationships, gauge feedback and discover valuable insights for continuous products and services enhancements.”

The Nokia Flagship Stores will form the top end of Nokia’s newly revised retail strategy that includes retail and operator partners and their more than 300,000 retail outlets globally. All of these customer outlets will remain essential to Nokia’s ongoing success and continue to be the main sales channels in the future. The feedback and learnings received through the Flagship stores will be shared and implemented with Nokia’s retail and operator partners.

Form Strategic Partnership to Bring i-mode to Hong Kong and Macau Exclusively

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. and Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong, a subsidiary of Hutchison Telecom International Limited (“Hutchison Telecom”; SEHK:2332; NYSE: HTX) jointly announced today that a strategic partnership has been formed to bring i-mode™ services to Hong Kong and Macau exclusively.

DoCoMo will provide the technology, know-how and marketing expertise to the partnership, enabling Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong to offer i-mode services via its territory-wide networks. In addition, the parties have also agreed within the scope of this long-term partnership to jointly consider the application of contactless IC card technology services, widely known as wallet-phone in Japan on i-mode enabled handsets in Hong Kong and Macau.

With these revolutionary services, Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong’s customers will enjoy another exciting dimension of mobile service, including easy access to a broad variety of Internet lifestyle options, fun and convenient content as well as full e-mail capabilities.

The i-mode platform allows service providers to readily integrate their Internet content and applications for mobile i-mode usage. Since its launch, i-mode has brought more than five thousand official sites offering thousands of relevant services worldwide, to life. Additionally, there are more than one hundred thousand independent i-mode sites available in Japan, creating an entire generation of i-mode enthusiasts in the country.

Commenting on the partnership, Dennis Lui, Chief Executive Officer of Hutchison Telecom said, “We are delighted by this partnership. In addition to providing cutting-edge services for our customers, it consolidates our position as Hong Kong’s most forward-looking mobile operator, as we continue to lead innovative developments in the mobile industry and seek to shape the communications market into the future.”

NTT DoCoMo Senior Vice President, Managing Director of Multimedia Services, Takeshi Natsuno commented, “I am very pleased and excited that i-mode will be offered in Hong Kong and Macau through one of the world’s leading telecommunication companies Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong’s solid networks. We are confident that this strategic partnership will bring multiple synergies for both companies as well as other member operators. We are also proud to announce our common strategy in bringing our wallet-phone experience from Japan to the region. This new partnership will certainly drive further expansion of i-mode in the global arena.”

The i-mode service is provided on an open platform based on de facto Internet standards. This functionality has attracted numerous content and application providers, creating a vibrant and virtual market place where thousands of sites serve the mobile needs of diverse customer lifestyles.

“With its proven business model and unique service platform, i-mode creates an open gateway for content providers. They will be able to immediately tap into the vast potential of one of the largest mobile customer bases in Hong Kong supported by one of the most advanced mobile networks in the world. We will work with content providers to spearhead the next generation of mobile Internet development in Hong Kong.” Mr Lui added.

With the signing of this agreement, there will be 16 i-mode operators in 24 countries and areas around the world. In addition to DoCoMo in Japan, they include: KPN Mobile N. V. (The Netherlands), BASE N.V./S.A. (Belgium), E-plus Mobilfunk GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Far EasTone Telecommunication Co., Ltd (Taiwan), Bouygues Telecom S. A. (France), Telefonica Moviles Espana, S. A. (Spain), Wind Telecomunicazioni SpA (Italy), COSMOTE Mobile Telecommunications S.A. (Greece), Telstra Corporation Limited (Australia), Cellcom Israel LTD. (Israel), O2 plc (UK and Ireland), Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (Russia) and StarHub Ltd. (Singapore). SMART Communications, Inc. is currently also preparing to launch the service in the Philippines.