Eircell has made a new range of information services available which will allow mobile phone users to access news, weather, sports and share prices via their handsets.
The information can be accessed using 087 GSM phones through short message service (SMS) at a cost of 12.1p a message (inclusive of VAT), with more advanced services available to new WAP (wireless application protocol) phones. One of the innovative services available is English Premiership match updates live from RTE to GSM phones using the service.
WAP mobile phones, which are being developed by Nokia, can be used to access Internet-based information when the handsets become available at the end of the month. The first WAP handset, the Nokia 7110, is expected to retail at between £199 and £249.
Calls made to Eircell's information services on the WAP phones will be charged at existing tariffs. Customers will be able to avail of their inclusive "Eirtime" minutes while using the service and will be charged at standard peak, off-peak and weekend rates for any additional minutes.
WAP handsets have much larger display screens than normal mobile phones and each message sent can contain up to 160 characters. A built-in navi-roller, used like a computer mouse, allows easy onscreen navigation.
Mr Stephen Brewer, chief executive of Eircell, said: "Our new services will move the mobile phone from being a simple auditory device to being the customer's `personal assistant', with relevant data services from traffic reports and up-to-the-minute news and sports."
The service is being developed with the AA, NCB, RTE, Rondo mondo and Xtra-vision. Esat Digifone was the first company to offer customers access to Internet information through handsets when its "dot-digifone-on-line" service was made available at the beginning of September.
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