‘Red Carpet’ Service philosophy delivers high-speed internet access within 90 minutes of order
3GSM World Congress Barcelona, SPAIN – February 12, 2007 – Option (Euronext: OPTI; OTC: OPNVY), the wireless technology company, today announced that its GlobeSurfer® II HSDPA wireless router is at the heart of a revolutionary internet access proposition being marketed in Kuwait by Wataniya Telecom.
Launched in December 2006, Wnet residential broadband internet service has been designed to be easy-to-buy and easy-to-use. Orders can be placed via special telephone hotline and a Wnet-branded GlobeSurfer® II HSDPA wireless router from Option is immediately dispatched by dedicated service delivery team. Then simply connecting the router to the electricity supply and switching it on creates an instant hotspot that allows the customer to gain immediate access to the internet from any WiFi-enabled PC. With backhaul provided across one of the world’s first nationwide high-speed HSDPA networks, Wnet offers customers a broadband connection that is faster than alternative 512 Kbps DSL services.
Wataniya Telecom, which launched into a monopoly telecom market as the first privately owned operator in Kuwait. In 1999 now has a customer base of more than 1 million mobile users. With a market share of over 40%, the company has been a driving force in increasing Kuwaiti mobile penetration to its current level of more than 93%. Wataniya Telecom has grown rapidly through acquisitions: today the company operates in the Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Tunisia and Algeria as well as Kuwait.
“Ease-of-use was our primary target when developing Wnet,” said Harri Koponen, CEO& GM, Wataniya Telecom. “Option’s GlobeSurfer® II HSDPA wireless router delivers the plug and play simplicity required for our ‘Red Carpet’ service philosophy that demands our customers can be on-line within 90 minutes of placing their order.”
“Wataniya vividly demonstrates how the unique flexibility of wireless solutions can revolutionize the delivery of broadband services traditionally provided by fixed operators while setting new standards in customer service,” said Jan Callewaert, CEO of Option.
Wataniya Telecom will extend its service philosophy to the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona by hosting its complimentary Red Carpet Café.
Option can be found in Hall 2, Level 1, Stand B17 at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona
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.
About Wataniya Telecom
Commercially launched in December 1999, Wataniya Telecom is part of Kuwait Projects Company (KIPCO), and has been a driving force in increasing the mobile communications market in Kuwait to more than 93 per cent of the population. Wataniya Telecom is actively expanding its presence in the region serving more than 8.8 million customers in countries with a combined total population exceeding 92 million.
Wataniya Telecom has operations in Kuwait, Iraq, Tunisia, Algeria, the Maldives, and Saudi Arabia. The company provides a wide range of leading-edge wireless voice and data services, delivered with high quality, designed to cater to the demand of today’s discerning customer.
For more information please contact
Douglas Ros, Vice President Business Development Option
Tel +32 (0)16 317 411, E-mail: d.ros@option.com
Frederic Convent, CFO Option
Tel + 32 (0) 16 317 471, E-mail: investor@option.com
Rima Termos Wataniya Telecom
Mobile: +965 6368638, E-mail: rtermos@wataniya.com