Three of Europe's largest mobile phone operators have
formed an alliance to offer simplified cross-border services to
business and private customers.
Telefónica Móviles, Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) and T-Mobile
will offer customers uniform voice and data services and discounted
fees across the markets in which they operate in Europe, the US and
Latin America.
The total customer base of the three operators combined will be
more than 162 million in 25 countries.
The group will offer roaming services and fees for voice and
data services, such as GPRS and MMS (Multimedia Messaging
Service).
TIM customers travelling to the US would be able to use their
mobile phones to make calls, send and receive e-mail and
communicate with the corporate intranet in exactly the same way
they would in Italy.
In the US, T-Mobile operates a network based on the same GSM
technology as all mobile networks in Europe.
Additionally, Telefónica, TIM and T-Mobile expect to bundle
their handset activities, to strike better deals with handset
manufacturers and help develop phones and wireless devices.