XL, Siemens, Satunet tie up

JAKARTA (JP): Mobile telecommunications operator Excelcomindo Pratama signed an agreement with cellular phone manufacturer Siemens Indonesia and news portal Satunet on Monday to provide Internet access through wireless application protocol (WAP) enabled mobile telephones.

The company said that during the trial period until mid July all access to the Internet would be free of charge for customers using Excelcomindo's XL regular and postpaid billing services.

In the new wireless Internet service, Siemens will provide the WAP gateway while Satunet the content, including brief information on movie and television schedules, horoscopes, hotels, restaurants, hospitals and drug stores.

In later stages, customers of the WAP service can also use their mobile phone to perform simple transactions, including stock trading, banking transactions and ticket purchases. (cst)