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.