CDMA Based Payphone Launched
Kyocera and Microtel Electronica have announced a collaboration on a new CDMA wireless payphone. Easy and convenient to install and relocate, the payphones eschew hard wiring by using the Kyocera 200 Module to connect via CDMA wireless networks. Targeted for Latin American and Caribbean countries, the Microtel wireless payphone is first approved for use in Venezuela with wireless service provider Movistar.
"With the Kyocera 200 Module integrated into our wireless payphones, we are revolutionizing the public phone market with a new level of convenience and economy for users," said Nelson Martinez, president, Microtel Electronica S.A. "Consumers no longer need to dig for change if a cell phone is not handy or if the battery is depleted, and they aren't saddled with exorbitant estimated costs either. And for business owners, the phones offer another source of income as well as a way to attract new customers."
The Microtel Electronica phones use the CDMA Kyocera 200 Module to enable voice communications while downloading airtime rates and calculating the cost of calls based on their length. As soon as a call is completed, the payphone sends immediate notification of the cost to the payphone owner, who in turn charges the customer.
The payphone owner receives a monthly bill from the carrier just like a regular cell phone bill.
With new wireless payphones in place, businesses can offer public phone services at a fraction of the cost of traditional coin-operated payphones, along with the convenience of adding the charge to a customer's bill or collecting cash and providing change. On average, the new phones generate approximately US$500 worth of wireless phone calls per month, adding an additional revenue stream for phone owners and wireless carriers alike.
"The Kyocera 200 Module-powered Microtel Electronica payphone is a smart investment for any business owner who wants to improve customer service and profitability," said Dean Fledderjohn, general manager of the M2M division at Kyocera Wireless Corp. "Easy to install and use, the wireless payphones provide obvious benefits to consumers and businesses. They are also popular with wireless carriers, who benefit from increased network use while not incurring costs to maintain the phones because they are owned by the businesses."
Posted to the site on 13th September 2006
