Partners line up to join mobile net

By ROB O'NEILL

Vodafone's New Zealand mobile internet service will include content and services from a range of local partners, including mobile banking from ASB Bank.

The company launched its My Vodafone mobile portal in New Zealand yesterday, a day after the service began in Australia.

Local content partners in addition to ASB Bank include Wilson & Horton, the IRN radio news service, MetService and TVNZ's Nzoom.com. International partners include the BBC and Reuters.

Users can get their own e-mail address and personalise their news, alerts and diaries. They can also access the system through their PC or any cellphone, including the cheapest of prepaid units.

Vodafone is also embarking on trials of a new technology called General Packet Radio Service which, with other "third-generation" mobile technologies, will increase mobile bandwidth to more than 300Kb per second from just 9.6Kb now.

That will allow rich multimedia content, such as video, to be delivered to cellphones and other handheld devices, said Vodafone New Zealand managing director John Rohan.

It will also allow users to remain online all the time, because they will be charged only for data transferred.

The arrival of third-generation mobile phones supporting the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) will allow further transactions such as share trading, gambling or ticketing for travel or entertainment.

These technologies will also allow mobile internet services to be used as a business tool. Businesses may host their own WAP servers so field staff can call in to clear e-mail and receive business information.

The service is free until May 31 while Vodafone performs load testing of its new system. After that, charges will depend on the services used.