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Motorola Chosen by GSM Association to “Connect the Unconnected”
Bringing the promise of mobile technology to everyone
Cannes, France – February 14, 2005 – Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) has been selected by the GSM Association (GSMA) to supply the first handsets for the Emerging Market Handset (EMH) programme – a programme critical to the social and economic development of many emerging markets.
Motorola will be offering a family of products built on its new, Ultra-Low Cost C114 platform that is optimised for the durability, long talk time and design preferences of emerging markets. Motorola has committed to start delivering these products during the second quarter of 2005 at a price point below US$40 (ex-factory) and has a strategic intent to work with GSMA members to develop follow-on products at sub US$30 price points.
The initial unit volume target for the first six months once shipments begin is six million handsets. This equates to approximately one per cent of the global handset market. As the programme expands, this new market segment has the potential to add more than a 100 million new connections per year.
The GSM Association estimates that despite 80 per cent of the world’s population having wireless access, only 25 percent are able to use it, with cost identified as the single biggest barrier to mobile communications usage in emerging markets.
The partnership with Motorola will aim to bridge the digital divide and connect the unconnected in countries such as India, Philippines, Indonesia and Turkey.
Commenting, Ed Zander, Chairman and CEO, Motorola said, “Connecting the unconnected with new Ultra-Low Cost, high quality, beautifully-designed handsets is a critical component of Motorola's growth strategy - and it is the right thing for us to do as a good global citizen. We are delighted to have won the opportunity to seamlessly partner with the GSMA and member operators to deliver the magic of mobile communications to those who have never experienced it.”
“The GSM Association is very pleased to announce that Motorola has been chosen to supply the first GSMA-endorsed handsets for the Ultra-Low Cost segment,” said Rob Conway, Chief Executive Officer of the GSM Association. “They had a vision and strategy for this market segment which fits very well with what we wanted to achieve.”
Craig Ehrlich, Chairman GSM Association, said “By directly addressing the cost of handset ownership, we believe that we can unlock the new ‘Ultra-Low Cost’ market segment.”
Motorola is showing all of the products and services mentioned above on stand A21 in Hall 1 at 3GSM World Congress.
For more information on Motorola @ 3GSM World Congress 2005,visit motorola.com/content/0,,5079,00.html.
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About Motorola
Motorola is a Fortune 100 global communications leader that provides seamless mobility products and solutions across broadband, embedded systems and wireless networks. In your home, auto, workplace and all spaces in between, seamless mobility means you can reach the people, things and information you need, anywhere, anytime. Seamless mobility harnesses the power of technology convergence and enables smarter, faster, cost-effective and flexible communication. Motorola had sales of US $31.3 billion in 2004. For more information: www.motorola.com.
Media Contact:
Una Kent
Motorola Mobile Devices
+44 (0)7802 365 956
Una.Kent@motorola.com
MOTOROLA and the stylised M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office. All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners. © Motorola, Inc. 2005.
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