Leuven, Belgium – May 22, 2006 – Option N.V. (Euronext: OPTI; OPNVY), the wireless technology company, today announced that Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa Sp. z o.o. (PTC) has selected Option’s GlobeTrotter GT MAX offering its mobile customers not only the fastest, but also the easiest to use 3G HSDPA/UMTS data card featuring Option’s unique flip-out integrated antenna design. The GlobeTrotter GT MAX is customized to the exacting requirements of PTC and will be marketed as the “Blue Connect UMTS/EDGE/GPRS, HSDPA Ready”. When PTC rolls out its HSDPA network later this year, a simple firmware upgrade via the operator’s website will enable PTC’s customers to connect at HSDPA speeds of 1.8 Mbps.
Since November 2005, Blue Connect data cards have been offered in the ‘HSDPA-ready’ version using two other Option data cards: the GlobeTrotter 3G/EDGE ‘HSDPA Ready’ and the GlobeTrotter FUSION+ ‘HSDPA Ready’. PTC announced in March of this year that HSDPA will be introduced within the framework of the Blue Connect service in 2006.
PTC, with more than 10.2 million customers at the end of 2005, holds a leadership position in the Polish mobile market with a 35.1% subscriber share. Their Blue Connect is one of the strategic and most popular services offered by PTC promoting the ‘fastest wireless internet – with no limit on data transfer or connection time’. Blue Connect enables convenient, high speed internet access whether at home, in the office or on the go. You just plug the Blue Connect data card to your laptop and let the system automatically choose for you the fastest locally available wireless internet access connection.
The GlobeTrotter GT MAX supports HSDPA 1.8 Mbps and 3G UMTS as well as Quad band EDGE/GPRS connectivity. The wireless data card features Option’s unique and patented multi-band flip-out integrated antenna design. Once inserted in a laptop, the GT MAX may be operated by simply deploying the flip out antenna. For ease and convenience, the antenna is retracted for briefcase or laptop carrier bag transport without the need to remove the wireless data card from the laptop.
ABOUT OPTION:
Option NV (www.option.com), the wireless technology company, is a leading innovator in the design, development and manufacture of 3G WCDMA (HSDPA 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) and an ISO 9002 production engineering and logistics facility in Cork, Ireland.
ABOUT PTC:
Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (PTC) is the leading Polish mobile telecommunication provider
(Era and Heyah networks) with over 10.2 million clients. The network covers 96.5% of the nation’s territory and 99.6% of its population. PTC operates services using both national GSM 900 and GSM 1800 licenses. In 2005 PTC also launched commercially a UMTS service in major Polish cities. Since the company began commercial operations in 1996 under the brand Era GSM (now Era), it has become one of the top Polish companies. PTC also offers the fastest wireless internet access solution called “Blue Connect”. It uses the UMTS, EDGE, GPRS and W-Lan technologies and enables wireless access to the Internet, to corporate resources and electronic mailbox from any location, at a lump sum monthly fee. “Blue Connect” can be used throughout Poland and abroad, in international roaming. More on Era and PTC at: http://www.era.pl. More on “Blue Connect” service at http://www.blueconnect.pl.
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) 16 317 411
E-mail: investor@option.com