Largest Shopping Center in the Nordic Countries Covered with Mobile Broadband
Network?s opening event provides free access vouches to users and explores using Nokia 9500 Communicators in mobile Wivanet WLAN network
Helsinki, Finland-/29 Nov, 2004 - Wi-Fi Technology News/- Radionet Ltd, a leading supplier of Wi-Fi Hotzone technology, mobile broadband operator Vantaan Energia and mobile broadband cooperative Zonet today announced the expansion of the Wivanet network to cover the largest shopping center in the Nordic countries, It?keskus in Helsinki.
The new Wi-Fi Hotzone network enables users to freely move within the shopping center without losing network connection. At the networks opening event in the end of November, the companies hand out vouchers, which entitle users to 24 hours free access and together with Nokia organize a joint promotion, where shopping center visitors can try out the new Nokia 9500 Communicator in the WLAN network and retailers gather experiences of utilizing communicators in their daily work.
?We see WLAN and 2/3G as complimentary technologies. Many of the new access devices are equipped with a WLAN connection and Nokia?s new 9500 model brings WLAN connections to smart phones. We believe that in the future, devices will automatically choose the fastest and cheapest network connection without users having to worry about the underlying network connections,? said Vantaa Energy?s Wivanet manager Marko Heinsola.
In addition to the It?keskus shopping center, Vantaa Energy will extend the Wivanet network to four other shopping centers in the Greater Helsinki region. The It?keskus mobile broadband network is a part of the Greater Helsinki region?s Wivanet network. Wivanet in turn belongs to the Zonet network, which covers nine cities in Finland.
?In addition to Zonet customers, the mobile broadband connection in It?keskus is available to all users equipped with a WLAN compatible device such as a laptops or a smart phones. The network connection is priced competitively and users can pay for the connection with credit cards, mobile phones or pre paid vouchers. The same connection can also be used in all the other Zonet networks,? said Markus Bj?rkqvist, VP Sales and Marketing, Radionet.
Vantaa Energy
As a full-service energy company, our main products include electricity, district heating and natural gas. We provide reliable and reasonably priced energy services to residential and business customers in and around the city of Vantaa. In addition, we are involved in developing new energy production solutions such as wind power and different combinations of production methods.
Wivanet
Searching for new business models, Vantaa Energy moved into wireless broadband and opened the Wivanet mobile broadband network in September 2003. Wivanet operates on wireless WLAN and WLL (Pre-WiMAX) technologies. The main benefit of wireless technology is that users can connect to Internet anywhere within the coverage zone.
The Wi-Fi Hotzone network in Vantaa does not rely on local landline operators, but employs Vantaa Energy?s own fiber and wireless networks and connects directly to FICIX internet node. This enables Vantaa Energy to provide a true alternative to landline operators, increase customer?s choices and drive competition in the field.
Wivanet is one of the founding members of the Zonet cooperative. This opens the possibility to use the network connection both in Finland and abroad.
Zonet
Founded in 2004, Zonet is a cooperative whose mission is to promote the adoption of mobile broadband and development in the wireless sector. The Zonet cooperative is open to companies and organizations from all sectors. The cooperative offers components needed for conducting wireless business for its partner companies and operator customers. The cooperative provides nation-wide marketing for its member networks. The Zonet logo tells users that they are within Zonet coverage.
In addition to its service offerings, the Zonet cooperative aims to promote interoperation in Finland so that networks operating as separate, independent islands would be available to users and users can be sure that they can easily find a Zonet network near by.
Zonet also belongs to the international Excilan and I-Pass VWISP organizations. This enables its member organizations? customers to use their connections also abroad in member ISP?s networks in places such as airports.
Nokia
Nokia is a world leader in mobile communications, driving the growth and sustainability of the broader mobility industry. Nokia connects people to each other and the information that matters to them with easy-to-use and innovative products like mobile phones, devices and solutions for imaging, games, media and businesses. Nokia provides equipment, solutions and services for network operators and corporations.
Radionet
The Wi-Fi Hotzone company Radionet specializes in the development, design and sales of large-scale outdoor wireless broadband networks. Radionet's technology is based on the WLAN standard conforming to IEEE 802.11. Radionet offers comprehensive carrier-class wireless broadband networks for operators, ISP?s and wireless ISP?s, power utilities, industry and logistics, and system integrators. http://www.radionet.com
For further information, please contact:
Vantaan Energia
Wivanet manager
Marko Heinsola
GSM: +358 50 468 9783
E-mail: mh@wivanet.fi
http://www.wivanet.fi
Radionet
VP, Sales and Marketing
Markus Bj?rkqvist
GSM: +358 40 535 0688
E-mail: markus.bjorkqvist@radionet.com
http://www.radionet.fi
Zonet cooperative
Product manager
Janne Wickman
GSM: +358 50 386 3948
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