OPTUS SAYS 'YES' TO FREE SMS

Cable & Wireless Optus is giving its GSM mobile customers a headstart in the SMS (Short Message Service) stakes by automatically giving them the ability to send short text messages - and making it free to customers until 31 May 2000.

SMS messages are created by using the alphanumeric keypads on a GSM mobile phone to compose a short text message that can be sent to another GSM mobile user. The message can be up to 160 characters in length.

"From Wednesday 12 April, our mobile customers are ready to go with SMS," said Finola Thompson, General Manager, Mobile Internet and Data, Cable & Wireless Optus. "Optus SMS is an affordable, easy-to-use and versatile way for mobile phone users to talk without talking," she said.

"Our research says our customers think SMS is fun and useful. From sending cheeky messages to friends or confidential updates to colleagues, they love the flexibility and freedom SMS provides."

"Short, simple and silent, with SMS there is no need for phones to ring in movies or meetings. Now you can keep in touch on the quiet," Mrs Thompson said.

"Based on the overseas experience, we expect the growth in this market to be exponential as our customers say 'yes' to SMS," she said.

When intercarrier SMS was introduced in the UK in October last year, the number of SMS messages generated increased by over 35 million on the previous month.

Louise Ingram
Cable & Wireless Optus
Phone: (02) 9342 5042

MEDIA BACKGROUNDER

Optus SMS - talk without talking

Optus SMS (Short Messaging Service) is an affordable, easy-to-use, and versatile way for GSM mobile phone users to talk without talking.

SMS messages are created by using the alphanumeric keypads on a GSM mobile phone to compose a short text message that can be sent to another GSM mobile user. The message can be up to 160 characters in length.

Optus SMS is FREE until 31 May 2000. From 1 June 2000 the cost for sending an SMS will be 20 cents per message sent.

Since Intercarrier SMS was launched on 12 April 2000, GSM mobile phone users have been able to send and receive SMS messages regardless of which carrier they use provided they have an SMS compatible handset.

Optus has automatically given its GSM mobile customers the ability to send SMS. Optus pre-paid customers can receive but not send messages. SMS is not available on CDMA, Analogue or MobileSat phones.

SMS Worldwide Snapshot

• T-Mobil, a major German carrier, has over 100 million messages transmitted over its network each month.
• Over 80 per cent of mobile phone users in France use their handset for some form of messaging, approximately 30 per cent use SMS.
• One carrier in Italy has over 2 million SMS messages sent across its network each day.
• In the Philippines SMS is hugely popular with up to 15 million SMS messages sent each day.
• Around the world SMS is particularly popular with youth and the young at heart. In Finland, one carrier claims that more that 50% of phone use among 15-20 year olds involves SMS instead of voice calls.

Sources: GSM Association, Ovum and Asian Communications.