Cingular Makes First Wireless Video Share Call

ATLANTA, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- As thousands of people stroll through the aisles of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas next week, those stopping by the AT&T booth (9817) will get a glimpse of what to expect from their wireless company in the near future - that is, if their wireless company is Cingular! (Media and analysts attending the Digital Experience event at Caesar's Palace on Sunday, January 7 between 7:00 -10:00 p.m. PST can get a sneak preview).

Cingular will be the first wireless carrier in the United States to demonstrate a service that allows wireless phone users to easily make a "live" video share call. The service allows users to send a live video stream to a recipient during a standard voice call. Beginning with a normal phone call, customers can hit one button to add a live video stream, allowing the called party to see what the caller is seeing while they're talking. The service also allows customers to switch the direction of the video stream during the same phone call.

"In the case of this technology demonstration, seeing is believing," said Kris Rinne, senior vice president of architecture and planning for AT&T. "Consumers can get a real feel for what 3G wireless can do and what to expect in the future."

For example, a couple in San Antonio would place a regular voice call to their parents in Miami, and once the call is connected, hit the camera button on the phone to start the video session. The parents receive an invitation asking if they want to view the live video stream, and once accepted, they begin seeing the video shot by the kids in San Antonio. The speakerphone turns on and the proud new grandparents in Miami can see a live video of their granddaughter taking her first steps or saying her first words.

Cingular is showcasing its 3G UMTS/HSDPA (Universal Mobile Telephone System/High Speed Downlink Packet Access) network and recently deployed IMS (Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem) platform to provide the video service. Other companies participating in the demo are Alcatel/Lucent (Las Vegas 3G network and IMS platform) and LG Electronics (LG CU500v phone).

Cingular said it expects to make the video service commercially available in 2007.

About Cingular Wireless

Cingular Wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, serving 58.7 million customers. Cingular is solely owned by AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) , a premier communications holding company in the United States and worldwide. Cingular has the largest digital voice and data network in the nation - the ALLOVER(TM) network - and the largest mobile-to-mobile community of any national wireless carrier. Cingular is a leader in third generation wireless technology, featuring the first widely available HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) service in the world. Cingular is the only U.S. wireless carrier to offer Rollover(R), the wireless plan that lets customers keep their unused monthly minutes. Details of the company are available at http://www.cingular.com/.