Barcelona, Spain – February 15, 2006 – Option N.V. (Euronext: OPTI, OTC: OPNVY), the wireless technology company, today announced that Mobistar, an Orange Group company, has chosen the GlobeTrotter 3G/EDGE ‘HSDPA Ready’ as the Belgian operator’s first product combining 3G and EDGE technologies in a single PC data card. The data card will support Mobistar’s “Business Everywhere” solution and will be sold as part of the Mobile Office Card product family. The ‘HSDPA-Ready’ technology gives Mobistar’s business customers the additional advantage of a future-proof data card for the upcoming HSDPA 1.8 Mbps services.
Benoît Scheen, Chief Commercial Officer at Mobistar explains: “Option’s GlobeTrotter 3G/EDGE ‘HSDPA Ready’ card is a real opportunity for Mobistar. We are currently deploying a 3G network which will be upgraded to HSDPA while we are the only operator that already has a coverage of above 99% of the Belgian population with EDGE technology.”
Jan Callewaert, CEO Option: “We’re very pleased that Mobistar has selected Option’s 3G/EDGE ‘HSDPA Ready’ data card for the Belgian market. Seizing the wireless broadband opportunity will greatly benefit Mobistar and its customers. Moreover, Mobistar is the 5th customer from within the Orange Group. I’m looking forward to a great relationship.”
On a 3G UMTS network, the GlobeTrotter 3G EDGE enables broadband connection to the Internet at data speeds of up to 384kbps. Where 3G services are not available the card falls back to EDGE offering data speeds up to 247 kbps. In the absence of EDGE or 3G, reliable and secure data connections can be established over traditional GPRS.
‘HSDPA-Ready’ is a concept unique to Option: when a network operator decides to launch HSDPA services in its territory a simple firmware upgrade, made available via the operator’s website, is sufficient to release the power and speed of HSDPA on the data card. Users can purchase the GlobeTrotter 3G/EDGE wireless data card to take advantage of 3G and EDGE technologies now, safe in the knowledge that that the card can easily be upgraded when Mobistar launches HSDPA. Users might otherwise wait for HSDPA and delay their purchase.
For more information please contact:
Douglas Ros, Vice President Business Development & Marketing
E-mail: d.ros@option.com
Frederic Convent, CFO
E-mail: investor@option.com
Tel + 32 (0) 16 317 411
For PR contacts at 3GSM World Congress:
Jan Poté, PR & Communication Manager, Option
Tel: + 32 (0) 475 92 55 82
E-mail: j.pote@option.com
Mobistar press office:
Tel +32 495 95 9888
E-mail: press@mail.mobistar.be
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 MOBISTAR
Mobistar (Euronext Brussels: MOBB) is one of the main actors in the world of telecommunications in Belgium, active in mobile telephony, fixed telephony, ADSL and on other markets with a strong growth potential (data transmission, etc.). Mobistar is part of the Orange Group which brings together most of the mobile activities of France Telecom.Mobistar is listed on the Brussels Stock Exchange. On 31 December 2005 Mobistar counted a total of 2,912,806 active customers for mobile telephony.