Switzerland Gets Free MMS Service

Swisscom has said that from next Monday, it will become the first network in Switzerland to offer Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), initially offering the service for free to its subscribers. All Swisscom Mobile customers (excl. NATEL(r) easy) will be able to use MMS by subscribing to the service free of charge. In the launch phase, the transmission of MMS will be free of charge. This offer will apply until 30 September 2002.

"We want to provide an additional incentive to use this attractive, trend-setting service," explains Urs Schaeppi, Head of Connectivity Services at Swisscom Mobile. As of 1 October 2002, billing for MMS will be volume-based: an MMS of up to 10 kB will cost around US$0.50. An MMS of this size enables a picture with sound to be sent.

To use the service, which first has to be activated by Swisscom Mobile, an MMS-enabled terminal is required. At the moment only the SonyEricsson T68i is available on the Swiss market. Other models are expected to be rolled out from the third quarter of 2002. During the MMS launch phase, the SonyEricsson T68i incl. attachable camera (Communicam) will be made available.

Urs Schaeppi explained the decision to roll out MMS by saying, "we are consolidating our position as a leader in innovation by launching MMS at an early stage." The new network components required for MMS will presently be installed and tested in collaboration with system partner Ericsson. Operation of the MMS service is stable but is currently restricted to the basic functions: MMS can be sent on the Swisscom Mobile network or to another e-mail address. Swisscom Mobile's MMS offering is being extended on an ongoing basis - MMS content (graphics and sound clips) will be available on Swisscom's mobile portal from late summer 2002. By this time it should also be possible to send MMS messages to non MMS-enabled mobile phones - the recipient will be able to access the message via Internet.'"

Posted to the site on 30th May 2002