Which came first, the Era or the Plus?

Two top mobile phone network operators launchto launch: uruchomić, aktywować, wypuścić na rynek 3G wirelessbezprzewodowy technology within a week of each other.

Polkomtel, the operator of the Plus GSM mobile phone network, has launched commercial 3G services as of last Thursday. "We are the first to offer such services on the Polish market. We have opened a new chapter in telecommunications," declared Polkomtel presidentprezes Jarosław Pachowski.

But wait. Era PTC began offering 3G (or UMTS, as it is also called) on August 23, over a week earlier, with PC chips given out to select corporate clients including Coca-Cola, Softbank, as well as many individuals for market testing. So, Mr. Pachowski: who really "opened the chapter," Era PTC or Plus?

Well, technically, that would have to be Era, whose website proclaims, "PTC is the first telecom operator in Central and Eastern Europe to provide UMTS," although competitorkonkurent Plus GSM can certainly boastchwalić się, szczycić of being the first to offer its clients both the data transmission and the voice and video-voice services. Era, meanwhilew międzyczasie, currently offers only the PC/laptop chips, which provide users with wirelessbezprzewodowy high-speed Internet access at the 3G level (really,really fast) while in Warsaw, and seamlessly switches to the next available rungszczebel of service when moving outside the city limits.

In fact, Poland can now count itself amongto count among: zaliczać się only 20 countries in the world to offer 3G service. Whether it's the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to have it, though, is debatabledyskusyjny, sporny, as a service in Slovenia is said to have beaten them to the punchto beat sb to the punch: wyprzedzić kogoś. But it's exciting news nonethelessjednak, tym niemniej, pomimo to.

"The technology is invisible to them-we present to them one, single, secure mobile access," says Andrzej Ochocki, the head of Era PTC's UMTS project. Thus, he explains, they focus on the services and on creating a superior customer experience.

And based on those select 3G users that the Journal was able to track downwyśledzić, odnaleźć, the experience has been quite positive.

When asked whether he could notice a difference, one IT worker at Coca-Cola, "For sure. If you compare GPRS [what they would otherwise use] and this, the difference is enormous." He goes so far as to say that the speed is incredible, and explains that the high-speed wirelessbezprzewodowy access suppliedto supply: dostarczać, doprowadzać, zasilać by the card-given to him by Era PTC to use in his laptop-allows him to work from home as if he were in the office, checking office emails as well as accessing databases. And no plugging in, of course, which means he could use it in the car while driving to work (although not the brightest idea, perhaps). He says this is the first time they've been this mobile with their Internet needs.

Ochocki stresses that, once they announce the commercial launchto launch: uruchomić, aktywować, wypuścić na rynek-when customers will have to start actually paying for the service-it will not be a "premium" service for a small, closed group. They want to appeal to a broader audience. He says they will aim to have transparent pricingczytelny, przejrzysty cennik-so that people will understand what they are paying for, with several payment plan options to choose from.

As part of the UMTS license, the 3G network should geographically cover at least 20 percent of Poland's population by 2007. It stands to reason then that both Era PTC and Plus GSM will move on from Warsaw to other high-densityo dużej gęstości population centers.

"A great stride forwardkrok naprzód is being made on the road to building an information society in Poland," proclaimedto proclaim: ogłosić, obwieścić Bogusław Kułakowski, presidentprezes of PTC's management board.

And while Era PTC says that the available mobile handsetshandset: mikrotelefon that might be used for streaming video-conferencing and voice-transmission are not up to snuffto be up to snuff: być na poziomie with their quality standards, they will be available soon-within a matter of weeks, according to Ochocki. Which better come fast if they want to catch up with Plus GSM.

Url źródłowy: http://www.wbj.pl/?command=article&id=23797&type=wbj

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