May 6, 1998 SingTel
Mobile company press release
SingTel Mobile customers can expect faster data transmissions
by early next year. This is made possible by a new GSM technology
called High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD) which allows data
to be transmitted to and from mobile phones up to 38.4 kilo bits
per second. This is comparable to the transmission rate of modems
via a fixed telephone network.
Today, SingTel Mobile customers who subscribe to MobileOffice
services can transfer files and data and send faxes at 9.6 kbps.
Customers can do so by hooking their laptops to their mobile phones
for wireless data transmission. With HSCSD, they can surf the
Internet at 38.4 kbps, four times faster than what is currently
possible with MobileOffice.
"We believe that mobile phones are not just a voice communications
tool. Increasingly, customers find that they need to access the
Internet and corporate databases or send faxes while on the move.
With faster data transmissions, our customers will find it even
easier and more convenient to use our MobileOffice service,"
said Mr Tay Soo Meng, SingTel Mobile’s Senior Director of
Engineering.
Ericsson has been contracted to upgrade SingTel Mobile’s
network to support HSCSD as well as other intelligent services
at a cost of $17 million dollars. This includes upgrading the
software of the switches as well as new hardware to support these
services.
