Data again rules GSM show

The GSM World Congress, which took place last week in Cannes, France, really isn't a world congress. GSM was created by and for Europeans "even if the 'G' stands for global," said Michel Bon, president of France Telecom.

The show's heavy data focus also reflected the influence of Europeans, long known for advanced data services. Discussions even often turned to Internet protocol, an area where Europeans have been perceived as falling behind the U.S. However, European operators are taking the first step toward IP as they push for global packet radio service (GPRS), which builds the foundation for IP, said Bruce Nelson, chief science officer of Cisco Systems.

The GSM community is aggressively pushing forward with GPRS. Motorola announced at the show that it will deliver GPRS across Cellnet's network in the United Kingdom in a deal worth $50 million that will incorporate some Cisco technology. Alcatel demonstrated its GPRS capabilities, and Nokia introduced a new GPRS network solution.

GPRS represents an important step on the road to third generation because it will help operators define revenue-generating applications that customers want, said Graham Trickey, director of network solutions for Motorola's Communications Enterprise.

But even before implementing GPRS, GSM operators are moving ahead with increasingly sophisticated data services. Nokia announced a deal with France Telecom to provide an end-to-end wireless application protocol-compliant solution that will include Nokia's IP routers and a new WAP-compliant handset introduced last week.

Nokia also announced that it worked closely with CNN Interactive to launch CNN Mobile, a WAP-based service that will deliver news and information in a short message service fashion. So far nine operators-one in the U.S.-ave signed up for the service, including Finland's Sonera, which has already launched.

GSM FACTS GSM has more than 135 million subscribers worldwide

GSM accounts for 62% of the world's total digital market

GSM now has a presence in South America, with systems in place in Chile, Paraguay and Venezuela

China is the largest GSM market, with 18 million customers at the end of 1998