Era hopes i-mode will capture 300,000 new subscribers

Era GSM mobile telecom operator (PTC) began offering a new i-mode based service yesterday thus becoming the first to introduce the Japanese innovation to Poland. The new system, named Era Omnix, not only gives Era's subscribers access to information, entertainment and games, but enables them to send multimedia messages (MMS) and e-mails. The company expects that the new service will attract at least new 300,000 subscribers in 2004, as many as EraWAP has now, and could increase the total number of Era's clients to 4.5 million by the end of the year. Era Omnix offers access to over 200 services in various categories from 24 providers. Irrespective of the kind of the service used, subscribers will have to pay 30.5 grosze for every 10 kb of information, or a flat rate of zl. 9.76 for 400 kb. The subscribers of Era's old tariffs and paying a flat rate for access to WAP via GPRS will not pay for the data transfer. The new development comes amidst a fierce battle for the market, with mobile operator Idea aiming to secure the the top market position by 2005. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B3) J.K.