Business Editors & Technology Writers
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 25, 2000
Ericsson and Turner Broadcasting System (TBS) Latin America, Inc., have reached an agreement to create a mobile Internet information service for Latin America.
The two companies will work together to develop and distribute the service, which will make news and information from CNN available on mobile phones and other devices.
"This agreement will help the growth of mobile Internet in Latin America by providing users with easy access to valuable information," says Bengt Forssberg, president of Ericsson Latin America. "We're delighted to be working with one of the world's acknowledged leaders in media. This agreement also builds on our existing mobile Internet activities in Latin America."
"This is a terrific opportunity to work with a leading telecommunications company to build and offer CNN's Spanish and Portuguese content to mobile operators in Latin America," said Juan Carlos Urdaneta, president of TBS Latin America, Inc. "This agreement furthers our goal to provide high-quality CNN content to users anywhere, anytime and in the most convenient way possible."
Mobile Internet will turn mobile phones into multi-functional personal communications devices, with access to a wide range of services and applications, wherever and whenever the user wants.
"It has been estimated that in 2003 there will be more mobile Internet users than fixed-line Internet users in Latin America," added Forssberg. "However, the growth of the mobile Internet market depends on the availability of services that people want to use, such as up-to-the-minute news in local languages."
The mobile service developed by Ericsson and CNN Mobile will be available in Spanish and Portuguese, giving users access to breaking news, world and regional news, sports, business news, weather, travel, entertainment and features.
TBS Latin America and CNN Mobile will develop the text-based content, with the help of Ericsson.
CNN Mobile was the first mobile telephone news and information service available globally with targeted regional content. Launched in February 1999, CNN Mobile is now partnered with 27 mobile operators, making the service available to more than 83 million subscribers in 22 countries. A dedicated team of journalists, the same group responsible for the award-winning CNN.com and 13 other Web sites, produces the service from CNN Interactive's newsrooms in Atlanta and London. Updated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, CNN Mobile features breaking news; world news by region; weather forecasts; business news and market updates; sports news and scores; entertainment news; and features.
