bagpuss102002
5th July 2005, 11:53 AM
The GSM Association is extending its effort to get low-priced mobile phones into the hands of people in developing countries.
The industry group, comprising operators, phone makers and developers, is moving into the second phase of its Ultra-Low Cost Handset initiative, which aims to get handsets costing less than $30 onto the market in poorer nations.
lthough 80 per cent of the world's population has mobile phone coverage, today's 1.3 billion GSM users represent only 25 per cent of the potential, the GSM Association (GSMA) notes.
Phase 2 includes an "Invitation to Strategic Partnership" issued to handset manufacturers.
Once phone makers are selected for the initiative - a process which should be completed in the autumn - the GSMA will see to it that the ultra-low cost phones will hit the market in the first quarter of 2006. The group is aiming to see six million handsets sold under the programme within the first six months.
full story
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/05/ultra-low_cost_handset_initiative/
The industry group, comprising operators, phone makers and developers, is moving into the second phase of its Ultra-Low Cost Handset initiative, which aims to get handsets costing less than $30 onto the market in poorer nations.
lthough 80 per cent of the world's population has mobile phone coverage, today's 1.3 billion GSM users represent only 25 per cent of the potential, the GSM Association (GSMA) notes.
Phase 2 includes an "Invitation to Strategic Partnership" issued to handset manufacturers.
Once phone makers are selected for the initiative - a process which should be completed in the autumn - the GSMA will see to it that the ultra-low cost phones will hit the market in the first quarter of 2006. The group is aiming to see six million handsets sold under the programme within the first six months.
full story
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/05/ultra-low_cost_handset_initiative/