French operator says service opens up a 'new world of multimedia services'.
Orange's 3G unlicensed mobile access (UMA) service, dubbed Unik, offers a single handset that can make calls and access data services via either a Wi-Fi or cellular network, depending on the user's location.The company claims it's the first to bring 3G and UMA technologies together and says its customers will experience richer content services and faster data speeds as a result.
Orange’s 3G UMA service will initially be available in France in October, followed by Poland, Spain and the UK. Orange’s existing Unik service is currently available to customers in France, Poland (Unifon), UK (Unique) and Spain (Unico).
The first 3G UMA handset to launch will be the Samsung P270, followed by the Sony Ericsson G705u.
Georges Penalver, EVP of group strategic marketing at Orange, said: "Our Unik customers will be able to take advantage of 3G’s capabilities delivering exciting multimedia services, such as music, downloads, TV and video. We have increased the benefits of this innovative technology, delivering a simple and cost-effective solution to meet our customers’ needs. That’s why UMA is at the heart of our convergence strategy.”
Advertisement
