'%20id='ico-down'%20stroke='%23000000'%20stroke-width='1.5'%3e%3cg%20transform='translate(1092.250000,%20254.750000)'%3e%3cpolyline%20id='Path-2-Copy-4'%20transform='translate(5.500000,%202.750000)%20scale(1,%20-1)%20rotate(-180.000000)%20translate(-5.500000,%20-2.750000)%20'%20points='0%200%205.5%205.5%2011%200'%3e%3c/polyline%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e){kind=small}
CANNES, France, Feb 23 (AFP) – Orange, the wireless subsidiary of France Telecom, said Monday it would offer third generation mobile telecommunications services to the general public in France and Britain in the second half of the year.
Service will be available in 20 cities in France, the company said at a forum here on universal mobile telecommunications sytems.
UMTS, also known as third generation or 3G telecommunications, is designed to provide e-mail, high-speed Internet surfing and live sound and image broadcasts to compatible handsets.
Orange is currently offering UMTS services to 4,000 subscribers in three test cities in France – in Cannes, Lille and Toulouse.
The company said its UMTS network was technically ready for operation in more than 20 French and British cities, including the three test cities.
In France, Orange has retained telecommunications equipment makers Nokia of Finland, Alcatel of France and Nortel Networks of Canada to install its UMTS infrastrucutre.
In Britain, Alcatel and Nokia have been retained.
© AFP
Subject: France news