W@P guide

By Soha Abdelaty
What is WAP?
Everyone's talking about their new WAP services and you don't even know what it is. Don't worry, you're not alone. Wireless application protocol (WAP) is a new global service that allows users to access the Internet from their mobile phones. All you need is a mobile phone that supports WAP and a data and fax subscription from your mobile network company.
WAP in Egypt
In Egypt, Click first displayed its WAP services during the Cairo Telecom Fair 2000 in collaboration with Ericsson. The service itself was launched last April. Following closely on Click's launch, MobiNil introduced WAP on a trial basis in May and officially launched the service in December. Both services allow subscribers to reach WAP-enabled sites on the Internet. Click GSM has a special deal with CNN to feed news and information to its subscribers without any additional charges.
MobiNil WAP services
News: Online news and stock quotes from Reuters, weather information and local prayer times.
Recreation and entertainment: Information on health clubs and restaurants, as well as cinema and television guides, horoscopes and jokes.
Getting connected: All MobiNil post-paid subscribers are eligible to subscribe to WAP services. They need to have a WAP-enabled handset and a subscription to the fax and data service (LE80 for connection, LE25 per month fee). Subscribers are charged PT50 per minute during peak hours and PT40 per minute the rest of the time.
Click WAP services
E-mail: My010mail is a free e-mail account similar to Hotmail or Yahoo! It's a POP3mail, which means you can consolidate e-mails sent to other Web-based e-mail addresses in your my010mail inbox.
News: Access to CNN Mobile, which offers worldwide news coverage from CNN, regional, and local sources, as well as weather forecasts and business news from Niletext. There is also an online feed from the Cairo and Alex stock exchange, local sports news and local prayer times.
Finance: Receive and request information about Banque Misr accounts, credit cards or your ATM debit card and locate the closest ATM machine.
Recreation and entertainment: Film guide for local cinemas, Cairo restaurant directory and daily horoscopes. Online feed to Cairo International Airport, a train schedule and traffic report.
Getting connected: Currently, Click WAP services are limited to Click Gold subscribers who have a data and fax subscription (LE90 connection fee, LE44.50 monthly fee). Click Gold is the post-paid umbrella brand that carries the Smart, Personal and Club 55 rate plans. If a Click Gold subscriber already has fax and data subscription, he doesn't have to pay any additional fees to access WAP; all he needs is a WAP-enabled phone and the necessary settings (available from customer service). The only charge is the regular data call charge.
Based on information provided by Osman Sultan, president and CEO of MobiNil, and Mohamed Abdel-Salam, product and services executive at Click GSM.
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Related links:
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