IP Mobile Phone for Business to Be Released

IP Talk Corp is a telecom carrier under the wing of Mitsubishi Electric Corp and it provides an Internet phone service called “IP Talk.” After developing a prototype of a voice over IP (VoIP) mobile phone using wireless LAN in 2002, the company unveiled a plan to start a “wireless IP phone service,” which enables use of IP Talk on the street via wireless LAN access services, within 2003.

Nikkei Communications asked the company’s Executive Vice President Tuyoshi Uesugi about the handset development and prospects for the service launch.

Nikkei Communications: How far has the phone handset development advanced?

Uesugi: We anticipate the release of a handset for business use after October 2003. The model has an IEEE802.11b compliant wireless LAN function and it requires no optional devices for email transmission and Web browsing. We are planning a standby battery life of more than 20 hours and a talk time of several hours. The prototype in 2002 featured only voice transmission. Continue >>