T-Mobile HotSpotSM Customers GET MORE® Convenient Locations Through Nation's Largest "Wi-Fi" Network
Bellevue, Wash. — Oct. 30, 2002
T -Mobile USA Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE:DT), today announced agreements with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines to provide ‘Wi-Fi’ (802.11b) wireless broadband Internet access in each airline's clubs and lounges across the country, giving even more airline customers convenient, reliable access to the Internet, corporate e-mail and other business applications at super fast speeds 40-50 times faster than standard dial up connections. In addition to expanding existing coverage in select American Airlines Admirals Clubs, T-Mobile plans to add HotSpotSM to approximately 100 of the most frequented American, Delta and United clubs and lounges over the next year. Additionally, coverage may be extended to airline gates as airport approvals are secured.
T-Mobile HotSpot service allows customers with wireless-enabled laptops or PDAs to access the Internet or corporate intranets while they’re away from their home or office, with a T1-speed connection fast enough to accommodate the full spectrum of applications including e-mail, streaming video and multi-media conferencing.
The partnerships between T-Mobile and American, Delta and United build upon T-Mobile’s existing service offering in more than 40 airport locations across the country, giving added convenience to business travelers who already benefit from the service. “It’s greatly reduced the ‘unconnected’ down time that I previously had when flying,” said Misha Sakellaropoulo, the Executive Director of a leading online publication who travels on a monthly basis. “Knowing that I have the opportunity to pop in and quickly sync up with email between flights means I have to spend less time in my hotel room at night trying to catch up on the day’s events – I can actually DO something in the cities I’m visiting.”
Robert Dotson, President and COO of T-Mobile USA said today’s announcement builds on the GET MORE® promise that the T-Mobile brand represents in the marketplace -- the ability to help consumers and business customers use the benefits of wireless services to get more from life. “T-Mobile’s partnerships with American, Delta and United – the top three airlines – further delivers on our commitment to expand the convenience of ‘Wi-Fi’ as a complement to our other service offerings and are particularly compelling for T-Mobile’s growing base of business customers who also frequent the airline clubs and lounges,” said Dotson. “Availability of a reliable, fast connection in prime airline locations hits the ‘sweet spot’ for the business traveler who can stop in, quickly download their e-mail in a comfortable location and relax or be on their way.”
According to Yankee Group 2002 Corporate Wireless Survey, almost 25 percent of all enterprise workers are considered mobile, spending more than 20 percent of their time away from their workspace. This equates to 40 million mobile professionals in the U.S. who still want and need access to the Internet or their corporate intranet and e-mail servers.
T-Mobile HotSpot service is on target to be available in over 2000 locations by the end of the year and represents the largest, fastest growing network of standards-based "Wi-Fi" (802.11b) public access points in the country. The service is currently available in over 1800 locations including Starbucks coffeehouses, airports, airline clubs and, by early 2003, Borders bookstores and cafes. A complete list of T-Mobile HotSpot locations is available online at www.t-mobile.com/hotspot/.
The expanding availability of T-Mobile HotSpot service complements the company’s suite of wireless data services for the business customer including World ClassSM global voice service that allows ‘one phone, one number’ when traveling internationally and T-Mobile Internet, providing wireless data access through handheld devices anywhere on T-Mobile’s nationwide 2.5G high-speed data network.
Lindsay Morio
T-Mobile USA Media Relations
425-383-4002
About T-Mobile USA, Inc.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile USA, Inc. is the U.S. wireless operation of Deutsche Telekom AG. By the end of the first quarter of 2010, approximately 150 million mobile customers were served by the mobile communication segments of the Deutsche Telekom group - 33.7 million by T-Mobile USA - all via a common technology platform based on GSM and UMTS, the world's most widely used digital wireless standards. T-Mobile USA's innovative wireless products and services help empower people to connect to those who matter most. Multiple independent research studies continue to rank T-Mobile among the highest in numerous regions throughout the U.S. in wireless customer care and call quality. For more information, please visit http://www.T-Mobile.com. T-Mobile is a federally registered trademark of Deutsche Telekom AG.