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The Vietnam News

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Vietnam mobile users get Internet access

HANOI - The General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) will be officially provided to contract subscribers of Vinaphone and MobiPhone from July 1. Initially, the new service will be available in five provinces including Hanoi, the central provinces of Da Nang and Thua Thien-Hue, the southern province of Dong Nai and Ho Chi Minh City.

"At first, we can serve only 10,000 customers at a time," Pham Quang Hao, vice director of Vinaphone said. Next year, these two system providers will allow pre-paid-subscribers to use this service.

With GPRS, users can send messages with images and voice, check e-mail, access websites and transmit data with a speed of 115 kbps, through their mobile phones. Customers can access wap.vnphone.vnn.vn, wap.mobiphone.com.vn or wap.google.com to find information on flight schedules, currency exchange rates, stock markets, weather forecasts, sports, news and guidelines. Customers can also make use of an on-line dictionary or download music, pictures or films.

To use GPRS, users have to own hand-phones with GPRS-supportive technology such as Nokia 6220, 6600, Sony Ericsson P800, P900, Siemens CX65, SX1 and Motorola V600, E380. From July 1, Vinaphone will trial run another service called "Push to talk", also based on GPRS technology. The new service will allow users to make one phone call, their content will automatically be sent to other subscribers instead having to call them.

Vietnam News Agency - June 29, 2004.