Dolphin creates a splash in UK mobile market

Mobile radio operator, Dolphin Communications, announced today that it is planning to build a nationwide UK digital radio network, slated to be ready early in the summer.

The company is investing $200m in the network and plans to spend well over $1bn rolling it out over Europe in the next four years.

The service aims to attract customers who need to get information quickly to personnel in the field, principally distribution and transport, and utility markets. It will be based upon a pay-as-you-go tariff and also offers free calls within a virtual private network.

In a written statement, Dolphin CEO, Ted Beddoes, said the launch represented a milestone on the road to voice and data convergence.

The network will be based on a new technology called Tetra which combines the features of traditional cellular networks with the latest digital radio equipment. Handsets for the service will cost up to £275 and will work as a digital radio, mobile phone, text messaging service and an advanced IP (Internet Protocol) based packet data transfer platform.

UK mobile phone operator, Vodafone, which has lucrative mobile communication contracts with British Gas and Eastern Electricity, was unable to comment on the new technology. A spokesman said that whilst the company welcomed competition, it did not think Dolphin posed any direct threat to its business.

After its UK launch the company plans to expand the network into Europe, reaching France and Germany early in the millennium.