IP: AT&T Wireless Leads Roll Out of 2.5G Services in U.S.

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> AT&T Wireless Leads Roll Out of 2.5G Services in U.S.
> AT&T Wireless launched its next-generation wireless service to Seattle 
> business subscribers, making it the first wireless carrier in the U.S. to 
> offer 2.5-generation services. AT&T Wireless based the new service on 
> General Packet Radio Service (GPRS). The new service can be accessed with 
> a Motorola Timeport 7382i GPRS wireless phone. AT&T Wireless customers 
> will now be able to access both voice and data at the same time on a 
> wireless phone. 
> (<http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1004-200-6589152.html>Reuters) 
> (<http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010717/tc/at_t_wireless_5.html>Associated 
> Press) 
> (<http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/199/business/AT_T_Wireless_debuts_service_five_times_faster_than_rivals_+.shtml>Boston
>
> Globe) (<http://www.newsbytes.com/news/01/168040.html>Newsbytes) AT&T 
> introduced a new pricing plan along with the launch of its advanced 
> services. Wireless customers will now be charged per byte. 
> (<http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Article&cid=FT3HUH25APC&live=true&tagid=ZZZPCGI2B0C&subheading=telecoms>Financial
>
> Times)

AT&T to charge mobile net users per byte
By Richard Waters in New York
Published: July 17 2001 20:52GMT | Last Updated: July 17 2001 21:18GMT


AT&T Wireless took a leaf out of NTT DoCoMo's book on Tuesday as it became 
the first US company to start charging mobile internet users based on the 
amount of data they download to their handsets.
The new pricing arrangement is one of the first signs of the alliance 
struck between the two companies earlier this year. Charging by the byte 
has been used successfully by DoCoMo for its highly successful iMode mobile 
internet service in Japan.
AT&T unveiled the pricing plan as it launched its first high-speed data 
network using GPRS technology. The launch, in Seattle, makes it the first 
US carrier to begin using the so-called "2.5G" technology that is also 
being adopted throughout Europe and in many other parts of the world.
Most wireless companies are wary of basing their prices on data volumes, 
fearing that users would not understand how the charges were arrived at and 
might be shocked by large monthly bills. However, DoCoMo claims to have 
encountered little resistance to the idea in Japan.
The new AT&T Wireless network will deliver data at a speed of 100 kilobytes 
a second, far faster than the 14.4 kbps of its current data service, though 
handset limitations will restrict the speed at first.
AT&T said that for $50 a month, users would get 400 minutes of regular 
voice calls and be able to download or upload up to one megabyte of data. 
Extra data would cost under one cent per kilobyte, it added.
Regular users of the mobile internet service could quickly exhaust their 
one megabyte limit. According to AT&T, downloading a 500-word news story 
would consume 25 kbs and checking a stock price would use 10 kbs.



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