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Subject to approval from Austria's Telekom Control Commission, T-Mobile Austria will be acquiring a UMTS frequency package of 2 x 5 MHz from 3G Mobile. This will give T-Mobile Austria UMTS frequencies of 2 x 15 MHz in the paired range and 10 MHz in the unpaired range.

"This additional block of frequencies will ensure that we can provide optimum quality UMTS network capacity to our more than two million customers. This will allow us to offer the complete bandwidth in data and multimedia applications," says Dr Georg Plzl, CEO of T-Mobile Austria.

In December 2003, Telefonica Moviles had transferred its share of 3G Mobile, including frequency allocations, to Mobilkom Austria, thus withdrawing from the Austrian market. Approval from the regulating authorities for this move had conditions attached: one of the two blocks of frequencies had to be handed over to a company which did not have corporate links to Mobilkom and which could use the frequencies to provide mobile communications services. T-Mobile Austria submitted its offer and its bid was accepted. Commercial usage of these frequencies will begin in 2005.

High demand for frequencies

T-Mobile Austria has a great need for a wide-ranging set of frequencies, since this will allow the company to provide broadband services to all its customers, including a high level of quality. The company sees UMTS as a key component of future business and launched its UMTS network in December 2003.

Currently, T-Mobile Austria offers UMTS network coverage of around 40%, and is continually expanding its coverage. Plzl continues: "This new acquisition of frequencies is another milestone in the expansion of the basis for our multimedia services. T-Mobile Austria wants to provide its multimedia services via all technological platforms (UMTS, GPRS, W-LAN), so that customers can use all applications at any time and regardless of the type of technology. We will soon be launching our first specific services, such as a mobile jukebox which will allow users to download current chart sounds on to their mobile phones. New data tariffs are also already in the pipeline."