Digifone - the first network in Ireland to introduce WAP technology

Added: 11/11/2005

Esat Digifone (now O2) is Europe's fastest growing second mobile phone operator with over eight hundred thousand customers. The company uses the Digifone network, which is positioned in the market on three basic principles: a state of the art quality network, real customer care on the 24/7 basis, a guarantee of a superior service at a price that represents a genuine value for money.

Esat Digifone was the first network in Ireland to introduce the WAP technology for its customers and have always led the market with the cutting edge GSM technology.

In 1999, Ms Mary O'Rourke T.D., the Minister for Public Enterprise announced the launch of Esat Digifone's groundbreaking new service - dot digifone-on-line, which enabled Digifone customers to access certain Internet information on the screen of their mobile phone.

Esat Digifone signed agreements with a number of prestigious partners in order to provide information through the dot digifone-on-line service, including Aer Lingus, RTE, Business & Finance, Paddy Power Bookmakers, 98FM and Entertainment Ireland.

Speaking at the launch of the dot digifone-on-line, the Minister O'Rourke said: "It is a great achievement for Ireland that a young indigenous company, such as Esat Digifone, is the first mobile operator in Ireland to make the WAP technology available to its customers. This is another example of Irish industry, taking innovative steps to build Ireland's reputation as a progressive and enterprising nation in the field of technology. Today's announcement lays a powerful foundation in bringing e-commerce into the everyday lives of Irish people."

A leading European IT services group CMG was chosen by Esat Digifone to provide the WAP platform for the dot digifone-on-line service. Using their WAP Service Broker product, Digifone could select the content, required by their subscribers. The dot digifone-on-line could be used by any Digifone customer, using a WAP enabled handset by selecting a "Internet Services" option on the handset. It connected a customer to the text based dot digifone-on-line homepage, which lists the various information services accessible.

In 2000, Digifone and Nokia signed an agreement for the supply of Nokia's cutting edge base station technology. Under this agreement, Nokia delivered upgrades to Digifone's network (which was a competitor to analog networks eircell) and supplied new equipment for an enhanced capacity and coverage. Nokia supplied Digifone with its GSM 900 and GSM 1800 base stations, the Nokia Network Management System, and provided a comprehensive package of Professional Services, covering Network Performance Verification, Project Management, Network Implementation and Integration, Commissioning, Technical Support, Emergency Service, training, as well as Swap Repair Service and Software Maintenance.

"We chose Nokia to supply its state-of-the-art equipment as we expect a rapid growth of not only voice, but also data services in the next two years," said John Nordlokken, the Technical Director of Esat Digifone. "Digifone intends to continue to be first in the market with leading edge technologies that are coming on-stream. By choosing to work with Nokia, who is leading the way forward in the mobile information society, we are confident that we will be able to respond to these rapidly growing and dynamic needs in the market."

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