Deutsche Telekom subsidiaries T-Mobil and T-Online announced a joint product offensive to bring more users into Germany’s mobile Internet market.
Under the new deal, T-Online Internet access will be provided free to T-Mobil users in a campaign to promote wireless Internet. Clients will pay only the wireless bill as T-Online initiates new price cuts in the market, according to T-Online CEO Wolfgang Keuntje.
The two companies say they are taking a “much bigger step” beyond speech telephony wireline and wireless network convergence. They plan to link “Internet and wireless activity in a unique worldwide product synergy,” according to Detlev Buchal, head of product management at Deutsche Telekom.
As of September 1, T-Online will provide T-D1 clients with their own free T-Online account and pay only for the connection cost between the two services. A discounted flat-fee rate charge will also be introduced.
T-D1 clients can also log on to T-Online via Deutsche Telekom’s wireline at a per-connection fee.
In a related venture, the two will also team up for an online banking deal. T-D1 clients will be able to use the SMS service to access their bank account statements, as long as it is accessed via T-Online.
“Germany is the world leader in online banking,” said Keuntje. “Fifteen hundred financial institutions are available via T-Online. There are also over 7 million accounts online. Now, our clients can take a look at their accounts, not only on the home PC, but on the road too.”
Starting this fall, content for T-D1 WAP-capable cell phones will be accessed via a T-Online portal. T-Mobil and T-Online also plan to offer a wireless bank payment service in the near future.
T-D1’s subscriber base grew by around 53 percent in the last year, and T-Mobil expects to enlist more than 8 million T-D1 subscribers by the end of ths year.
T-Online is the largest ISP in Europe and its portal is the most-visited in Germany.