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The new HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) turbo network is the latest addition to Swisscom Mobile's portfolio of broadband technologies. The network will cover Berne, Geneva and Zurich by mid-2006, and Lausanne, Basle, Lucerne and St. Gallen by the end of the year. The data rate of 1.8 Mbps enabled by HDSPA is equivalent to the speed enjoyed by customers at WLAN hotspots. The network is being expanded on an ongoing basis and will cover some 20% of the population by mid-2006 increasing to around 40% by the end of the year, and over the medium term will achieve the same level of coverage as UMTS (currently 90 percent of the population). With its combination of GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA and WLAN, Swisscom Mobile is providing a broadband technology mix that is not only unique in Switzerland, but also leads the way in the rest of Europe.

The high-speed network can be accessed using the new Unlimited PC Card 5in1 - the first card to support all mobile data technologies. Customers can also enjoy the benefits of seamless handover: the card searches for the fastest available network at any given time and switches seamlessly between the five technologies. It will be available on the market from 6 March at a cost of CHF 99 (24-month contract).

Another Swisscom Mobile innovation will be exclusively launched on the Swiss market at the end of June: Unlimited laptops, which connect to the mobile network at the touch of a button thanks to an integrated SIM card and state-of-the-art access technology. The products are the result of a collaboration between Swisscom Mobile and the two leading computer manufacturers, Acer and Fujitsu Siemens Computers.

There's good news when it comes to data charges, too. Swisscom Mobile is introducing a tariff option based on CHF 5 per hour with no turnover minimum. This option is cheaper than public WLAN and will be available throughout Switzerland, making mobile Internet services more affordable and attractive for occasional as well as frequent users and making the WLAN hotspot business model in Switzerland a thing of the past. Occasional users can also opt for a time-based tariff of CHF 39 per month including 12 hours of Mobile Unlimited usage, while frequent users will benefit from a flat rate of CHF 79 per month that includes 2 Gigabytes. These tariffs will come into force on 1 June.

The cost of data roaming will be significantly cheaper in many countries from 1 April. For example, customers who transfer large volumes of data and subscribe to the World Data Option can transmit up to 100 MB per month for only CHF 149.