France's Free Selects Pirelli Broadband Solutions For The Supply Of GSM/Wi-Fi "D

Pirelli announces new customer at Broadband World Forum Europe - Free chooses Pirelli for new fixed-mobile VoIP service

Under the terms of the agreement, Pirelli will deliver Wi-Fi/GSM handsets for Free's new fixed-mobile commercial offering - "Nomad Telephony" - launched last week in France.

The Pirelli "dual-mode" phone is an innovative handset which enables the convergence of fixed and mobile services, integrating cell phone technology with Internet telephony. The new Pirelli phone, based on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), can alternatively function as a telephone handset in Wi-Fi mode or as a mobile phone, thanks to a technology which allows the device to use both GSM and WLAN Voice over IP networks.

"We are very pleased to have concluded this agreement with a leading broadband dual-mode phone manufacturer. Our customers will enjoy the know-how of Pirelli with this high- end handset, and will benefit from the best of fixed-mobile convergence thanks to Free," explained Michaël Boukobza, CEO of Iliad.

"Our innovative dual-mode phone, said Mauro Sacchetto, CEO of Pirelli Broadband Solutions, is the result of our success in the broadband technology sector and in Voice over IP service-oriented devices. The partnership with a leading operator such as Free validates the superior performance and reliability of our product offering and can only strengthen our presence in the European telecoms market."

Using the "dual-mode" phone, users will be able to make regular mobile phone calls using a SIM card or call via the internet with a Wi-Fi DSL gateway. This solution enables mobile phone features such as SMS, MMS, and e-mail through a fixed-broadband connection, which provides greater bandwidth and cost savings. Pirelli dual-mode phones also provide automatic provisioning and software upgrade features that allow the operator to simplify the user's experience and lower the costs related to service activation and management.