Mobile broadband: Sonofon launches 3G

As of today, Sonofon's customers can benefit from the opportunity of high-speed access on their mobile phones and portable PCs for both work and leisure. This launch of high-speed mobile data connections is taking place just 10 months after Sonofon purchased the 3G licence. To begin with, coverage will extend to the centre of Copenhagen, Aarhus, Aalborg, Odense and a number of other cities in Denmark.

3G marks the next generation in mobile telephony, offering such services on mobile broadband as video telephony and TV via mobile phone. Business customers are also being offered new PC cards, which provide mobile broadband on portable computers. Sonofon's mobile portal e-go is also being expanded, with new exciting services being added such as news and sport from TV2 and a mobile music store.

To begin with, Sonofon will offer 3G coverage in the centre of the country's four largest cities, and will continually update customers as and when the network is ready in other cities. Customers can follow the expansion on the coverage map available at www.sonofon.dk.

"3G is a natural extension to the existing mobile network. We are seeing rising demand in the market now, and are pleased to be able to offer new opportunities just 10 months after purchasing the 3G licence. We're extending our coverage quickly and expect to provide coverage for another 10-15 towns by the end of the year," says Peter Berg, Sonofon's sales and marketing director.

"This 3G launch in Denmark means that Telenor's 3G network now covers all three Scandinavian countries, enabling us to offer exciting solutions in the future for both private and business customers," says Morten Karlsen Sørby, Executive Vice President and head of Telenor Nordic. "It is Telenor's expertise in planning and expanding the mobile network that have enabled us to launch this service so quickly, and we will now utilise our experience from the markets in Sweden and Norway to launch the sale in Denmark," concludes Karlsen Sørby.

New network running at top speed
Sonofon's 3G network has been set up using the latest equipment, which means that customers will be receiving the fastest uplink speed on the market at 128 kbit/s. This is particularly useful when sending e-mails with document attachments. The downlink speed is 384 kbit/s. Sonofon's 3G network is also set up for HSDPA, known as "turbo 3G", which will be able to offer speeds right up to 3.2 Mbit/s.

In addition to the launch of 3G, Sonofon's customers will also have access next year to 500 new hotspots with high-speed wireless data connections in hotels, conference centres and airports, right across the country.

Simple product packages and usage limits
Sonofon customers need to either register or change SIM card to be able to take advantage of the 3G service. If they already have a 3G-enabled phone or PC card they will automatically have access to the new network in the relevant coverage areas.

"Both work and leisure activities have been moved nowadays outside the confines of four walls where fixed connections are used. In fact, the use of 3G will benefit mobile network broadband so much that customers will actually be able to enjoy TV and music, and receive e-mail via their mobile phone or portable computer, no matter where they are," says Peter Berg.

Customers will have the opportunity to choose from a number of packages and subscriptions. For instance, the Surfmobil package offering 2 MB data will only cost 9 Danish kroner. This will provide access for visiting around 200 websites via mobile phone.

If customers do not take out one of the special 3G supplementary subscriptions, Sonofon's special Maxpris concept will ensure that the charge for surfing the net via mobile does not exceed 10 kroner a day and similarly, the charge for a mobile data connection on a portable computer will be limited to 50 kroner per day.

TV2 via mobile and much more
Sonofon has agreements with two of the country's most popular media companies, TV2 and Aller. Customers can see clips from, for example, TV2's news, finance and sport programmes, as well as from a range of other TV programs, directly via their mobiles using streaming services. Aller offers celebrity news from the "Kig Ind" magazine, also delivered right to the customers' mobile phone. Other services include the music store Mobilhits, offering the latest hits, as well as a range of different mobile data packages.

Sonofon will continue to add more exciting services in collaboration with leading partners in the entertainment and business services sectors.

Press contact:

Karin Skjødt Hindkjær
Director Corporate Communications, Sonofon
Tel.: +45 72 12 60 36, E-mail: ksl@sonofon.dk


Brief overview of Sonofon's 3G products
-All customers automatically receive access to 3G via their SIM card and can use the 3G network if they have a 3G telephone or 3G PC card
-All basic subscriptions cost 99 kroner to set up, exclusive of VAT
-All additional subscriptions are free to set up
-If a customer does not take out a subscription the Maxpris scheme applies, which means that the charge for surfing the net via mobile cannot exceed 10 kroner per day and similarly, the charge for a mobile data connection to a portable computer is limited to 50 kroner per day.

For further information about Sonofon's 3G products, visit www.sonofon.dk/3g

Telenor is one of the largest telecom groups in Scandinavia. Sonofon and Cybercity jointly represent the Telenor Group's telecom activities in Denmark, and are setting the agenda for the telecom market of the future through establishing a strong position within the mobile telephony and broadband sectors. Sonofon is the second biggest mobile operator in Denmark with over 1.5 million mobile customers and just under 1200 employees. Cybercity is one of Denmark's biggest broadband providers with over 150,000 DSL customers and more than 300 employees.

To find out more, visit www.sonofon.dk and www.cybercity.dk.