Subject: [NEXTEL-1] NEXTEL RIVALS LAUNCH FASTCHAT SERVICE

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 28 May 2003 12:43:28 -0400

The Boston Globe High-Tech Sector Report

May 27, 2003 11:02am

May 26--NEXTEL RIVALS LAUNCH FASTCHAT SERVICE:

It's unlikely to threaten Nextel Communications' dominance in
"DirectConnect" cellphones that can double as walkie-talkies.

But for Boston-area customers of AT&T
Wireless and T-Mobile -- and soon Cingular
Wireless -- a new "push to talk" service
became available last week, months before the
non-Nextel carriers are expected to launch
walkie-talkie services.

Called Fastchat, and offered by Chicago-based
FastMobile, the service involves loading a
program onto phones that operate on the GSM
(Global System for Mobile) network standard,
which AT&T and T-Mobile use in Boston and
Cingular will launch later this year.

Fastchat costs $9.95 a month for unlimited
use and can be downloaded from fastchat.com
on the Web, though it may become available in
cellphone stores this summer. For now it
works on two phone models: the Nokia 3650
and Sony Ericsson P800.

The service piggybacks on the system used for short text messages to send
short voice calls instead.  Users pick a name from a menu on their phone and
hold the Send button while speaking. Compared to Nextel, one of the drawbacks
is delay.

To send a five-second burst of chat -- "Honey, can you buy a gallon of milk on
the way home?" -- will take at least five seconds after you've finished
speaking.
But unlike Nextel, the service allows you to play back a message you've
received.

http://hoovnews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?layout=displaynews&doc_id=NR200305271180.3_ffb00014f7d49596&ticker=NXTL&l=ticker_news&sym=NXTL&s=1

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