Press release

With TWIN Tact™, Neuf Cegetel offers its new ultra slim GSM / WiFi touchscreen handset, for €19 (including VAT)*

 

Paris, 24 May 2007. Neuf Cegetel, pioneer in fixed-mobile convergence, is extending its TWIN™ range with a new ultra slim touchscreen-stylet handset, further improving consumer unlimited access to WiFi telephony and multimedia.

 

 

TWIN Tact™, a full-featured convergent multimedia phone

 

A stylet brings fast, convenient access to services directly from the phone, plus enhanced ergonomics for email, SMS and WiFi web surfing.

 

TWIN Tact™ is supplied with PC synchronization software for transferring content (images, contacts, music, etc.) from a PC.

 

A quality wide-angle LCD display with high resolution (QVGA, 320x240) further enhances the quality of television reception under TWIN™.

 

TWIN Tact™ is compatible with WiFi 802.11g and includes a Bluetooth interface, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and a Micro SD memory card reader enabling users to create, store, view and share videos, photos and music. A 1 Gb card is included free with all subscriptions to a TWIN plan up to 31 July 2007*.

 

The new ultra slim handset (just 12.5 mm thick) boasts a smart, sober design. TWIN Tact™ has been developed in partnership with E28 Ltd, specialists in Linux-based convergent mobile solutions.

 

Like its predecessor, TWIN Tact™ offers all TWIN™ convergence services. It not only offers some of the most attractive GSM plans (see appendix), but also includes unlimited WiFi access to telephony, internet, email, and the TWIN™ multimedia portal with services such as weather forecasts, traffic information, route-finding, news and cinema programmes. Users enjoy WiFi unlimited access to over 20 television channels and over 60 radio stations.

 

 

Enhanced features for all TWIN™ subscribers

 

Neuf Cegetel continues to improve the features of its TWIN™ offering. Since the service was launched a year ago, it has advanced toward greater simplicity to make fixed-mobile convergence accessible to the broadest possible population (WiFi configuration, SMS writing, etc.).

 

Developments have been made in the WiFi connection point search function. As before, the user presses the WiFi key to launch the search, but the search process is even faster and the phone connects automatically to the access point with the best reception, among those listed.

 

TWIN Tact™ gives automatic access to Neuf WiFi community hotspots (more than 150,000 Hot Spots in the world - Fon, Ozone, Adaël, SNCF, etc.). And to allow users to connect more easily to other Hot Spots they may want to select, WiFi profiles have been increased to 20 personal profiles.

 

Neuf Cegetel offers all its subscribers these new features through remote upgrades via WiFi.

 

 

New findings on fixed-mobile convergence

 

The latest findings from TWIN™ corroborate the Neuf Cegetel approach to fixed-mobile convergence. Around 60% of subscribers use WiFi for calling French and international landline numbers, and achieve substantial savings. Multimedia services are regularly used: around 60% of TWIN™ subscribers watch mobile television, with viewing time averaging 20 minutes per month.

 

 



Download the press release: Adobe Acrobat


View the appendix

 

 

About Neuf Cegetel
Neuf Cegetel is the leading alternative operator in France. The company operates its own national network infrastructure, comprising nearly 45,000 kilometres of optical fibres, and has invested heavily in the rollout of its DSL access network. It now has a presence in over 1,200 subscriber connection units. This means that Neuf Cegetel is in a position to produce its own broadband services, control their costs and quality and sell them directly to 70% of the target population. Neuf Cegetel has a presence in all market segments, providing a wide range of innovative services to residential customers (more than 4 million, including 2.3 million broadband customers) and to enterprises (148,000 corporate sites connected), while 200 telecommunications and internet service providers benefit from its wholesale services. Neuf Cegetel, whose two key shareholders are Louis Dreyfus and SFR, reported revenues of 2,897 million euros in 2006.

 

 

 

 

(*) Offer available up to 31 July 2007 (€49 after this date) and conditional upon subscription to package in TWINTM range, subject to 24 months subscription

Details and conditions on www.neuftwin.fr or by phone on 3030 (toll-free from landline).

 

 

 

 

Press Contacts

Groupe Neuf Cegetel

Nicolas Chatin, Marie Medeveville / presse@neufcegetel.info

Hopscotch

Cosma Nicolau : cnicolau@hopscotch.fr / Julie Serero : jserero@hopscotch.fr

 

Investor relations contacts

Pierre-Antoine Machelon, Nathalie Bricault / investorrelation@neufcegetel.info

 


 


 

 

Appendix

 

 

TWIN™: single package offering the benefits of landline and mobile telephony

 

Neuf convergence packages are available to all subscribers with broadband access (ADSL or cable) and WiFi equipment. All they need to do is subscribe to a TWIN™ mobile plan.

 

TWIN™ plans

 

WiFi

Unlimited calls round-the-clock, seven days a week, to landline numbers in France and over 50 international destinations 1  

Free, unlimited, broadband access to TWIN™ multimedia portal and services (TV, radio, email, news, traffic information, etc.)

GSM

1h30

2h

2h30

4h

5h

6h

8h

10h

12h

Price

€21. 90

€24,90

€29,90

€34.90

€39.90

€44.90

€57.90

€75,90

€91,90

 

Prices assume 24-month commitment – (1) from 01/06/07 – list of countries www.neuftwin.fr

 


 

Benefits of convergence

 

  • WiFi unlimited calls to landline numbers in France and over 50 international destinations1.
  • WiFi free access to internet and true broadband multimedia services (around twenty television channels and sixty radio stations).
  • Outside WiFi coverage, TWIN™ works like a classic GSM mobile phone. The consumer uses the minutes of the mobile plan it has selected.
  • The Neuf WiFi community has more than 150,000 hotspots worldwide (Ozone, FON, Adaël and SNCF railway stations).
  • A multimedia portal offers unlimited access to broadband services such as weather forecasts, traffic information, route-finding, astrology and cinema programmes.
  • A single phonebook lists all contacts and calendar details.
  • A single phone set handles all landline and mobile calls.
  • A single number (the mobile number beginning 06) handles incoming and outgoing calls; there’s no need to change number.

 

 

 

Additional advantages for Neuf subscribers (broadband and telephony)

 

Subscribers to Neuf broadband schemes have direct access to Neuf email and Neuf Giga storage space from the TWIN™ portal.

 

The Famille Neuf option from Neuf Mobile offers Neuf TWIN™ subscribers unlimited calls round-the-clock seven days a week between their home landline numbers and TWIN™  handsets2.

 

 

 

 

 

Specifications of TWIN™ sets

 

 

 

TWIN TactTWIN Tact™ (€19 inc. VAT)3

 

    Dimensions: 110x50x12.5 mm
  • Weight: 95g
  • Four-band GSM-GPRS set
  • Bluetooth
  • WiFi 802.11b/g
  • QVGA touchscreen (320 x 240) 262k colours, 2.2’’
  • 1.3 Mpixel camera
  • Memory extension by Micro SD card (1 Gb card free with all subscriptions before 31 July 2007)
  • Java, Opera 8
  • Multimedia player
  • Linux

 

 


TWIN ClassicTWIN Classic™ (1€ inc. VAT)3

 

  • Dimensions: 106x45x19 mm
  • Weight: 95 g
  • Three-band GSM phone
  • WiFi 802.11b
  • Large screen (176 x 220), 262k colours, 2.2’’
  • Opera 8
  • Multimedia Player
  • Linux

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


1 From 1 June 2007
2 For landline with preselection, ADSL or VoIP
3 Offer up to 31 July 2007, conditional upon subscription to TWINTM plan, subject ot a 24 months subscription

© Neuf Cegetel