T-Mobile launches the commercial operation of HotSpot

• T-Mobile HotSpot offers the largest Wi-Fi network worldwide
• This service can be used in dozens of locations in the Czech Republic
• Five thousand T-Mobile HotSpot locations abroad
• By the end of the year, T-Mobile customers will have access to 15 thousand HotSpots
• T-Mobile HotSpot enables wireless data transmissions at a speed of up to 11 Mbit/s

Prague 25 March 2004 - T-Mobile has launched the commercial operation of the HotSpot service which customers have been able to try out since the middle of last year. This high-speed and convenient access to the internet is based on wireless connection and customers thus only need a PDA or a notebook with WLAN technology. This service represents an ideal solution for such situations as when customers are waiting at the airport or preparing themselves for a meeting at a hotel. This service is designed for all T-Mobile customers; however, it may also be used by subscribers of the other domestic operators.

What is T-Mobile HotSpot?
The T-Mobile HotSpot service offers customers an easy and fast wireless connection to the internet or a corporate network. It allows the transmission of large volumes of data, for example, when downloading large files such as presentations, digital photos, video or e-mails containing large attachments. It thus represents an ideal supplement to other T-Mobile services for mobile access to the internet, in particular in combination with T-Mobile GPRS. T-Mobile GPRS has very good coverage and T-Mobile HotSpot offers a high transmission speed in the selected locations; users therefore will not see the difference compared with the standard connection in the office, even if using complicated applications. In the Czech Republic, there are currently more than three dozen HotSpots available and their number is continually increasing.

T-Mobile HotSpot abroad
Business professionals who travel frequently need to access their e-mail and the internet when on business trips. They can now take advantage of the T-Mobile HotSpot service within the T-Mobile International network and its partners. T-Mobile offers, within roaming, the possibility of being connected to the internet anywhere in the world in an easy manner. T-Mobile (tariff, as well as Twist) customers may log in via the name and password which will be provided to them upon request.
T-Mobile operates one of the largest commercial Wi-Fi networks worldwide. This concerns five thousand connection points in total; out of this number four thousand are available in the U.S.A. and one thousand in Europe. They can be found, for example, in the Starbucks Coffee chain, at airports and hotels in Great Britain, the U.S.A., Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. By the end of the year, the amount of connection points is to be tripled. This means that T-Mobile customers will have access to 15 thousand HotSpots of which eight thousand will be operated by T-Mobile, five thousand by T-Com (a subsidiary of Deutsche Telecom) and two thousand by other members of the mobile operators alliance (TIM, Telefónica and Orange).

Easy-to-use service 
T-Mobile HotSpot is based on WLAN technology (Wireless Local Area Network) and is also often designated as Wi-Fi. This technology enables data transmission at a speed of up to 11 Mbit/s. No fixed connection is necessary to access the internet or a company intranet. To be connected via T-Mobile HotSpot, customers will need a notebook or PDA supporting WLAN. For users whose notebooks are not equipped with this technology there is also an easy solution: they just need to purchase a WLAN card (e.g., Nokia D211) which can be purchased at T-Mobile Retail Shops or in computer stores.
Upon switching on a notebook equipped with the relevant card in an area covered by the WLAN signal (HotSpot), the WLAN network is automatically found. Upon starting the internet browser, the user will enter any internet address. He/she will automatically be connected to the login page of the T-Mobile HotSpot service where the login data must be completed, in accordance with the detailed instructions. Upon successful login, the customer will be connected to the internet and may browse through the selected web sites or, as the case may be, use standard intranet applications.

Payment options (the prices are valid for the use of HotSpots in the Czech Republic):

1. Payment via the Statement of Services

• A customer will send a registration SMS containing the key word "OPEN? to 9526 (WLAN) - only once, free of charge - and he/she will immediately receive a unique login name and password. Using this name and password, the customer may connect to a T-Mobile HotSpot anywhere and anytime (also when roaming within the networks of T-Mobile and T-Mobile roaming partners).
• The service is charged at 15-minute intervals.
• In the case of TWIST prepaid cards, the price will be automatically deducted from the credit. In the case of contract customers, the price is added to the amount billed for the T-Mobile services.
• Activation: via SMS or, as the case may be, by logging in.
• Deactivation: by logging off the used HotSpot.
• For whom: all T-Mobile customers.

2. Payment by credit/debit card (EC/MC, VISA)

• A service for a fixed price stipulated in advance which determines the duration of the connection in hours.
• Activation: upon entering credit card data on the T-Mobile HotSpot portal.
• Deactivation: automatically, based on the validity timeframe of the voucher.
• Payment: by credit/debit card (EC/MC, VISA). When logging into the T-Mobile HotSpot system, the customer will choose a payment gate which is automatically connected to the authentication of credit/debit cards. The authentication is performed outside the internet environment.
• For whom: this payment option does not require that a client using the HotSpot service be a T Mobile customer.

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T-Mobile Czech Republic, a member of the international telecommunications group Deutsche Telekom, has almost 6.2 million customers, the number-one operator in the Czech market. T-Mobile is an integrated operator: in addition to telecommunications services, it offers comprehensive ICT solutions not only for companies, but also for other organizations and individuals. It provides outstanding services in the high-speed network, which was proved repeatedly by benchmark testing performed by umlaut (former P3) with Best-in-Test seal.

T-Mobile Czech Republic places emphasis on taking a responsible approach to the environment and society. It adheres to fair business practices, helps beneficial applications and services to see the light of day, supports non-profit organizations, small businesses and individuals, and lends a helping hand whenever crisis situations arise. The company’s employees serve as volunteers in many places across the entire Czech Republic.

More information about the company is available at www.t-mobile.cz, www.t-press.cz (the portal for journalists) and www.t-mobile.cz/pomahame (information on the company’s CSR activities).

Contact details of the press unit: press@t-press.cz.