Schibsted has decided to establish a new company which will develop and operate new mobile services in Scandinavia. The company will also consider applying for UMTS licenses in the Nordic countries.
The company will establish portals for mobile services which the users will access through new media channels such as WAP telephones, GSM telephones and PDAs. The services will be directed towards the consumer and business segments. These initiatives will be co-ordinated with Schibsted’s newspapers.
In addition, the new company will enter into discussions with established telecommunication operators with the goal of providing GSM phone services to the consumer market.
It is expected that the authorities in Norway, Sweden and Denmark will award licenses for the new UMTS net during 2000. UMTS will offer significantly higher speed than the current mobile systems and will make the simultaneous transfer of video, text and speech possible. Schibsted will evaluate whether the to apply for UMTS licenses in one or more of the Nordic countries, alone or together with partners.