Abdur-Rahman Kamaldeen

A T & T Wireless Launches PocketNet For The Individual

AT & T Wireless Services Inc. in the week of Oct.7, 1997, launched the consumer version of its wireless Internet access service.

The service is now available in 22 cellular markets. The company plans to make the service available in 70 additional markets.

AT & T's PocketNet service uses client software and related network-based software from Unwired Planet Inc. based on Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML), which strips down standard HyperText Markup Language into a format that can be sent efficiently over 19.2-kilobit-per-second Cellular Digital Packet Data links and formatted for the small screens of wireless telephone and digital assistant devices.

Each $299 handset, which is equipped with browser software from Unwired Planet, is issued an Internet Protocol address at purchase.

The new service, PocketNet for the individual, has a $29.99 monthly flat rate, which includes unlimited access to e-mail. Users can get their e-mail through an AT&T WorldNet account or from any Internet access provider that will forward e-mail to this new address.

As part of the service, users also receive a fax service, which allows them to fax documents to any fax machine, with up to five fax pages per month. Additional fax pages are charged at the rate of 20 cents per page.

Also included in the flat-rate service is unlimited access to 25 PocketNet information sites supporting Unwired Planet's HDML. Among those sites are ABCNews.com,Bloomberg Online, ESPN SportsZone, InfoSpace and Travelocity.

PocketNet subscibers will also be issued individual Web site addresses where they can access their calender and address book and get technical support. Additional software called Puma Intellisync for AT&T PocketNet service, will allow users to upload and synchronize existing PC organizers such as Lotus Development Corp.'s Organizer 97, Microsoft Corp.'s schedule+ 7.0/7.0A, Microsoft Outlook 97 and Symantec Corp. Act 3.0 Technology for $69.95.

Customers can also use the handset to make voice calls over AT&T Wireless Service's analog cellular network. Voice calls are not included in the flat-rate fee. Subscribers can choose from a variety of existing fee schedules for the voice service.

The materials in this article were culled from a bi-monthly news magazine.