LEUVEN, Belgium – December 15, 2008 – Option N.V. (Euronext Brussels: OPTI; OTC: OPNVY), the wireless technology company, today announced that T-Mobile UK is adding an Option USB wireless modem to its pioneering mobile broadband service. The iCON 431 is an intelligent HSUPA USB modem offering fast, future-proof broadband connectivity: it will be marketed by T-Mobile UK as the Mobile Broadband USB Stick 530.
Option’s iCON 431 can download at speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps and upload at up to 5.7 Mbps. Tri-band HSPA in the 900, 1900 & 2100 MHz bands ensures iCON 431 users can obtain mobile broadband connections in countries all over the world. Ease-of-use is guaranteed by Option’s patented Zero-CD Plug ‘n’ Play technology that automatically installs all necessary drivers and application software when the device is first connected to a PC.
The sleek and compact device measures just 76 x 27 x13 mm when the USB connector is retracted within its body. An innovative Micro-SD slot can accommodate an 8 GB card making the iCON 431 a versatile data storage device. Pictures of the USB modem are available at: https://www.option.com/en/products/products/usb-modems/icon431/
T-Mobile’s Mobile Broadband service experienced a 35% rise in data device sales between Q2 and Q3 2008 and has an estimated market share of 22% in a segment that is growing at 11% a month. Anticipating the exponential increase in demand for mobile data services, T-Mobile has acted to ensure that as both the number of customers and usage increases, so too does the customer experience. Central to T-Mobile’s commitment to maintaining service excellence is a programme of consistent and independent quarterly benchmark testing to ensure customers experience the best in mobile broadband performance.
“Option has supplied data cards to T-Mobile UK over the years,” said Jan Callewaert, CEO of Option. “We’re delighted that now our USB modems will contribute to the continued success of T-Mobile’s mobile broadband proposition in Europe.”
T-Mobile is one of the world’s largest mobile operators with more than 126.6 million customers worldwide and is the service provider of choice for 16.8 million customers in the UK, making it one of the largest networks. T-Mobile has a range of innovative products and services, such as Solo, the SIM only option offering market-leading minutes and texts on a 30-day rolling contract; Combi, their best package deal; Flext, a unique tariff with a flexible allowance; U-Fix, a tariff that combines pay-as-you-go and a minimum term contract, and web’n’walk, which enables customers to surf the internet on the move. Competitive high-speed Mobile Broadband tariffs include access to the largest worldwide Wi-Fi network, with more than 1,000 HotSpots in convenient locations in the UK and 27,000 worldwide. Network coverage is among the best in the UK at over 99 per cent of the UK population. T-Mobile operates an advanced 3G HSDPA-enabled network capable of supporting effective mobile broadband speeds of up 4.5Mbps and is the first UK operator to provide a nationwide HSUPA capability for faster uploads.
For more information about T-Mobile UK, please visit www.t-mobile.co.uk
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