Leuven – Belgium, November 15 2006 – Option N.V. (Euronext: OPTI, OTC: OPNVY), the wireless technology company, today announced that 3 Scandinavia (www.tre.se) has launched the GlobeTrotter GT MAX “7.2 Ready”. GT MAX, now shipping in volume to 3 Scandinavia, is being marketed locally in Sweden and Denmark under the 3 brand.
The GT MAX enables 3’s customers to access a new generation of mobile services, including mobile broadband, mobile video and mobile music at speeds more than 50 times faster than dial-up and up to five times faster than other 3G networks. With average download speeds over 3’s Turbo3G network of 1-1.5 Mbps, and peak rates of up to 3.6 Mbps, the GT MAX also allows 3 Scandinavia to offer an alternative to fixed broadband for the smaller enterprise and household consumer markets…
The GlobeTrotter GT MAX “7.2 Ready” is a future-proof product being compatible with mobile network infrastructure equipment that supports HSPA download data rates of up to 7.2 Mbps. This means existing GT MAX “7.2 Ready” users will not need to replace their data cards when 3 Scandinavia start upgrading its network to 7.2 Mbps HSPA early next year.
Jan Callewaert, CEO of Option said: “The flexibility and versatility of wireless broadband combined with Option’s advanced technology, including tri-band HSDPA, Receive Diversity and “7.2 Ready”, are enabling 3 Scandinavia to target new mobile and fixed customer segments now without compromising their infrastructure evolution strategy.”
Backward compatibility ensures HSDPA connections at data rates up to 3.6 Mbps or 1.8 Mbps depending on the upgrade status of the network locally. The wireless data card also has inherent support for 3G operation at 384 kbps as well as quad-band EDGE and GPRS.
Option’s Advanced Radio Technology (ART) and unique flip-out antenna design differentiates the GlobeTrotter GT MAX “7.2 Ready” from other HSDPA devices. Featuring the combination of Receive Diversity and Receive Equalization in the card design, the dual antennae and dual receive chain greatly enhances signal reception and reduces the impact of spatial variations (fading) in signal strength. Receive Equalization, on the other hand, improves immunity to interference of the radio signal. For the network operator, mobile receive diversity reduces the power required in the base station and potentially increases by up to a factor of two the resultant network capacity.
In usage scenarios tested during GT MAX field trials, ART improved Internet connection speeds by more than 50% compared with non-ART devices giving greater connection stability and higher data throughput vastly improving the overall user experience.
3 Scandinavia is the leading 3G operator in Sweden and Denmark with more than 614,000 subscribers and a market share of 50%+. The company is owned by Hutchison Whampoa (60%) and Investor (40%). Mobile products & services are available under the 3 brand in Sweden, Denmark Australia, Austria, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Unique Features of GlobeTrotter GT MAX
– Unrivaled features in a single wireless Data Card device;
– Five Band Flip-out Antenna design (Patented technology)
– No need to remove the card from the laptop for transport;
– Tri-band HSDPA/UMTS 2100/1900/850 MHz bands – compatible with World Wide usage;
– Advanced Receiver Technology (Receive Diversity & Equalization);
– Quad Band EDGE/GPRS 1900/1800/900/850 MHz bands – compatible with World Wide usage;
– Future Proof 7.2 Mbps Ready – No need to purchase a new wireless data card;
– Zero-CD (patented technology) – No necessity for the user to pre-install drivers or software;
– Designed for Windows XP and Windows Vista Capable.
About Option:
Option, the wireless technology company, is a leading innovator in the design, development and manufacture of 3G WCDMA (HSPA and UMTS), EDGE, GPRS, GSM and WLAN technology products for wireless connectivity solutions. Option has built up an enviable reputation for creating exciting products that enhance the performance and functionality of wireless communications. Option’s headquarters are in Leuven, Belgium. The company has Research & Development in Leuven, a Software and Applications development centre in Adelsried (Germany), a Wireless Router development centre in Stockholm (Sweden), an ISO 9002 production engineering and logistics facility in Cork, Ireland. Option also has sales & support operations in the US, Japan and Taiwan. For more information visit www.option.com.
For more information please contact:
Douglas Ros, Vice President Business Development & Marketing
Tel +32 (0)16 317 411
E-mail: d.ros@option.com
Frederic Convent, CFO
Tel + 32 (0) 16 317 471
E-mail: investor@option.com