Telia introduces GPS with directions on mobile phones

Now the mobile telephone is being used for more and more applications than just calling. Last week Telia started live broadcasts of TV4 and other television programmes on the handsets of its mobile customers in Sweden and is now launching a service that allows mobile phones to be used as a GPS navigator. The new service, Telia Navigator, also has a special feature – all you have to do is enter the telephone number of the address of your destination in Sweden and you will receive instructions to guide you there.

On most GPS navigators you have to enter the correct address or coordinates for your destination. Telia utilises its proprietary technology to provide an extra advantage: with Telia Navigator, it is often enough to just enter the name of the person or company that has the address you are going to, or you only have to enter the phone number on the key pad. Telia Navigator is software that you download onto your mobile handset. A separate GPS navigator is connected wirelessly to the phone. After that, the navigator is ready to use and will give directions and a map, right on your mobile phone’s display, from the location where you happen to be for the moment. The navigator will quickly generate the best route, and if you should happen to choose the wrong road by mistake, a new route will be presented quickly on the display. The information comes from a rolling map with voice-enabled instructions telling you how to drive through intersections and roundabouts. As an alternative, you can receive text-based directions. The technology functions just as well when you walk. The maps are stored on a central server and are always updated with the latest changes, routes and directions. The navigator also provides information about the closest petrol station, hotel, sightseeing attraction and will even tell you if you are approaching a speed camera. Telia Navigator is a subscription that you can take for one month, only for your holidays, or for a 12-month period. A one-year subscription costs approximately SEK 80 per month. This does not include phone traffic charges. For example, 30 address searches a week would cost about SEK 25 extra per month, including 1,200 km of navigation.* - - - - - *Prices include 25% VAT in Sweden and can vary, depending on the type of subscription and usage pattern. - - - - - Information about the attached press photo, which may be freely used in connection with the press release text: Graphic display of the GPS navigator, approximately 16 x 9, 300 dpi, 321 kB jpg. (Downloaded next to the release at www.teliasonera.com /Press Releases)