Computerworld

Telecom gets djuice

Telecom will today announce an alliance to bring a 'world-leading' mobile internet portal to New Zealand.

Telecom will today announce an alliance to bring a "world-leading" mobile internet portal to New Zealand.

Telecom will provide details of its alliance with Telenor Norway to license Telenor's mobile portal djuice - making it the first operator without ownership links to Telenor to use the portal. The others are in Portugal, Malaysia and Thailand.

The djuice.com website says "djuice services through Telecom Mobile will be marketed during the second half of this year. djuice will be co-branded with Telecom Mobile's own brand in the New Zealand market."

Telenor's sponsorship of the Norwegian boat in the Volvo Ocean Race will be used in the marketing activities in New Zealand. The boat will be named 'djuice' and will be part of a fleet due to arrive in Auckland in early January 2002. The fleet will be harboured in Auckland during most of January until departure for the Pacific leg to Rio, Brazil, on January 27, 2002.

Telecom's series of alliance announcements continued yesterday with the news that Telecom, Cable & Wireless Optus, and Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) are investigating a proposal to establish a new telecommunications cable system between Singapore and Sydney. A feasibility study is currently underway.

If the proposal goes ahead, a submarine cable will be built linking Singapore, Jakarta and Perth. From the new cable, connections could be made throughout Australia and the Asia-Pacific region via the carriers' existing cable networks.