New Zealanders now have access to world-leading mobile broadband technology with the launch of Telecom’s Mobile Broadband CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A upgrade today, powered by Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) solutions.

“New Zealand is one of the first countries in the world to have this technology, which makes possible a whole new world of real-time mobile services,” said Simon Moutter, Chief Operating Officer – Business, Telecom New Zealand. “It offers super-fast mobile data speeds for both downloading and uploading data, which means that wherever they are, customers will be able to use their notebooks, laptops and other mobile devices to enjoy services such as video conferencing, multi-player gaming, and streaming video.

“Super-fast upload speeds means that Mobile Broadband powered by Rev. A is ideal for remote workers wanting to send large files, as well as receive them. For example, photographers will be able to send large photo files directly from location shoots much more quickly and easily. Mobile Broadband Rev. A makes it feasible for many more New Zealanders to work effectively away from their office, wherever they need to be,” said Mr Moutter.

Mobile Broadband Rev. A offers average download speeds of 800Kilobits per second (Kbps) and average upload speeds of around 300Kbps. It employs CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A technology, the next step up in the development path for the CDMA 1xEV-DO network behind Telecom’s current Mobile Broadband offering. The upgrade was carried out by Alcatel-Lucent, which built and now manages Telecom’s mobile data network.

Mobile Broadband Rev. A is available initially in the Auckland CBD area. It will be available in other metropolitan areas starting from early 2007 and rolled out throughout New Zealand during the course of the next year.

Hilary Mine, head of Alcatel-Lucent’s Australasia Regional Unit, said the launch of Mobile Broadband Rev. A is another example of the strength of Telecom’s mobile technology path. “Upgrading to Rev. A will ensure that New Zealand remains at the forefront of global mobile innovation and enable Telecom to continue delivering a truly world-class mobile broadband service for customers.

“This is one of the first deployments in the world of EV-DO Revision A, and the rapid growth of EV-DO subscribers beyond New Zealand means a ready demand for new applications and services based on the technology. We can expect to see some very exciting developments and it’s fantastic that New Zealand and New Zealanders will be at the forefront of them.”

Palm Announces Availability of the Treo 700wx Smartphone on the Telecom New Zealand Network

Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq: PALM) today announced the availability of the Palm(R) Treo(TM) 700wx smartphone running Windows Mobile 5.0, adding a Palm EvDO product to Telecom New Zealand’s product offerings.

The Treo 700wx combines a great mobile phone, comprising all the functionality and ease of use for which Treo smartphones are known, with the power and security of Windows Mobile favoured by many businesses. Today’s announcement marks the availability of Telecom New Zealand’s first Windows Mobile Treo smartphone.

“As the first Windows Mobile-based Treo smartphone in New Zealand, the Treo 700wx will offer customers the distinctive Palm experience combined with ready access to Microsoft’s world-class email solution,” said John Hartnett, Palm senior vice president, global markets. “We’re continuing to execute our global growth strategy to give mobile work forces worldwide greater choice.”

“Treo smartphones continue to provide customers with innovation, ease of use and functionality in a stylish form factor,” said Martin Butler, general manager, Product – Business, for Telecom New Zealand. “For customers who prefer to have Microsoft’s Windows operating system applied across all their corporate computing assets, the new Treo 700wx gives users a convenient way to access their business-critical and Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents at broadband speeds using the Telecom EvDO Mobile Broadband network, making just about anyplace a work place.”

“Mobility today means far more than reading email outside the office,” said Brett Roberts, director of innovation at Microsoft New Zealand. “People need to be able to access Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents, manage their calendars, access the Internet and more with a single device. We are pleased that Telecom New Zealand and Palm are launching the Treo 700wx to provide their customers with a powerful Windows Mobile smartphone that answers the needs of life on the go.”

Treo 700wx Features and Benefits

– Fast, automatic wireless updates of email, calendar items, contacts and tasks;

– Built-in dial-up networking (DUN) capabilities;

– Device User’s Guide — customers can view the full User’s Guide (located in the Quick Tour and My Treo sections) right from their device, providing convenient access to tips, troubleshooting techniques and how-to instructions;

– 1.3-megapixel camera to shoot crisp, clear digital images and videos;

– 64MB RAM for program execution;

– Integrated Bluetooth(R) 1.2 wireless technology for communicating with compatible headsets, car kits, computers and printers equipped with Bluetooth technology;

– Removable battery and non-volatile memory;

– Expansion-card slot (SD, SDIO, and MultiMediaCard compatible);

– 240×240 transflective (TFT) screen.

Vodafone’s new 3G technology has enabled a New Zealand first live streaming; which provides 3G phone users with the unique ability to view great music or sporting events as they happen. The first being a live concert stream of New Zealand band EVERMORE from Auckland’s Transmission Room tomorrow night.

Vodafone 3G users in 3G coverage areas will be able to stream the concert for free. This new mobile technology can be viewed anywhere and is not limited by the fixed boundaries of TV or the web.

Tim Nichols, Head of Vodafone live!, says “This is another great new development from Vodafone live! and we are excited about providing a new medium for our customers to enjoy the best of New Zealand’s cultural and sporting events. The mobile streaming concept is unique to Vodafone and will change the rules about broadcast media and the viewing choices people have.

“The live streaming format thrives on mobile because the nature of live events means if you are not physically there or in front of your TV, you miss out. With live streaming to your mobile there is no reason not to see your favourite event. Most people carry their mobile everywhere and from now on major cultural and sporting events can be accessible anywhere too.”

Live streaming is similar to live TV with multiple cameras shooting the action. The feeds are either encoded on a PC on location, or if filming is conducted in remote areas, the feeds will be sent by radio to a ‘production facility’. Then they are mixed and encoded into .3gp format and sent to Vodafone via an available internet connection – satellite, ADSL or Cable. Once the feed arrives at Vodafone it is passed through the streaming servers and made available to 3G customers via the live! portal.

Vodafone’s first live streaming sports event will be at New Zealand’s premier snowboarding competition – Burton NZ Open. The Burton NZ Open takes place on 3-5 August at Snow Park, Wanaka. Vodafone will stream all three days of the event which attracts world class riders from all over the world.

Tim Nichols says, “Vodafone is an active supporter of music and snow sports and this is an example of how we work with our sponsors and use our expertise to provide consumers with innovative technologies which add real value to their lives.

“This will be the first of many live streams. We are planning on streaming more music gigs, surf events in the summer and lots of other great events.”

Vodafone 3G users will be able to stream the EVERMORE concert for free at 7.30pm on Tuesday 25th July. In the future users will pay a nominal amount per day to watch as much coverage as they want, and do not pay for data once they are inside Vodafone live!

Live streaming will be easy to access with links to the streams appearing on the Vodafone live! homepage. To access live! users simply need to press the live key on their handset or FreeTXT live to 5483 and follow the links.