Entel Chile, in association with Vodafone, will be first operator in Latin America to offer Opera Mini with widgets on handsets.
Oslo, Norway – November 29, 2010
Opera Software today announced a partnership with Entel Chile that will put a customised version of the Opera Mini mobile browser with widgets, developed exclusively for Vodafone, on handsets sold by the Chilean operator. This marks the first time that a customized version of Opera Mini with widgets will be available in Chile and Latin America.
Entel Chile subscribers will now be able to enjoy the world’s fastest mobile browsing experience from Opera Mini along with its unique feature set and ease-of-use. Opera Mini 5 will be available soon on some of the most popular feature phones and smartphones sold by Entel, a fast-growing operator with more than 7 million subscribers in Chile and a Partner of the Vodafone Group.
Users will also have access to widgets, or stand-alone Web applications, on their phones, allowing them to perform simple tasks at the click of a button, such as checking weather or updating their status on a social network.
“Entel has always been committed to offering the latest technology and it is no surprise that they have chosen Opera Mini to offer the best mobile browsing experience to their customers,” said Andreas Thome, EVP Sales, Opera Software. “Latin America is a very important region for us, and this association with Entel Chile will help us expand in that market.”
Opera Mini is the world’s most popular mobile browser with 76.3 million users and is the gateway to the Internet for many people in emerging markets. The latest version, Opera Mini 5, offers innovative features such as Speed Dial, bookmarks, tabbed browsing and a password manager. Opera Mini also gives users a fast browsing experience through its compression technology, which shrinks webpages by up to 90 percent before they are delivered to the mobile device. This results in cost savings to end-consumers who are on pay-as-you-go data plans.
“One of the challenges in Chile is how to manage the rapid growth of the Internet. And at Entel, we are working for it. We want to make sure every Chilean has connectivity anywhere, anytime,” said Carlos Rodriquez, Manager, Product and Services, Entel. “By deploying Opera Mini on our handsets, all our customers will be able to easily surf the Web and have access to information at a unique experience.
“This partnership is an extension of Entel’s and Opera’s strong relationship with Vodafone,” said Richard Daly, CEO Partner Markets at Vodafone Group. “We hope to expand this in other regions where Vodafone operates.”
About Entel Chile
Created in 1997, Entel Chile forms part of the Empresa Nacional de Telecomunicaciones S.A., Chile’s principal telecommunications company. It is the only locally-owned mobile telephone company in Chile to provide mobile telephony, Internet, data and IT services.
As of October 2010, it had seven million subscribers and, in 2009, its income reached 740,776 million pesos.
It is recognized as leader in innovation, technology and network coverage and reliability in Chile’s mobile market.
It operates a 2G network (GSM/GRRS/EDGE) that covers most of Chile. In 2006, it was the first company to introduce 3.5G technology in Chile and Latin America. In December 2009, it also became the first company in the region to carry out a trial of LTE or 4G, considered the technology of the future.
On eight consecutive occasions, it has taken first place for “Quality and Service” in the mobile telecommunications category of the National Consumer Satisfaction Index prepared by ProCalidad, an NGO, and the Capital business magazine.
About Vodafone
Vodafone is one of the world’s largest mobile communications companies by revenue with approximately 343 million customers in its controlled and jointly controlled markets as at 30 September 2010. Vodafone currently has equity interests in over 30 countries across five continents and over 40 partner networks worldwide.
For more information, please visit www.vodafone.com.