Qualcomm, Tata Teleservices launch Fisher Friend

New Delhi, Aug 2 (UNI) The country's fishermen will soon have access to crucial information in their mother tongue on weather conditions, market risks and opportunities.

The new application called Fisher Friend works on any handset and network that has 3G CDMA capability and is priced at an affordable Rs 1,000-1,500.

The BREW-based mobile application has been developed in collaboration with Tata Teleservices, Astute System Technology and M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).

''The application is currently under trial on the Tata Teleservices network in Tamil Nadu and will later be extended to other coastal areas,'' said Qualcomm India President Kanwalinder Singh.

''Right now, we have partnered with Tata but will extend it to other players as the market develops. The commercial feasibilty is still to be worked out and will depend on the response that we get,'' Mr Singh said.

Talking about the anticipated 3G policy, Mr Singh said it was about time the policy is rolled out.

''We believe the Indian markets are now ready for the technology and that the consumers will benefit tremendously. It will also take the Indian telecom industry to a new level which has been showing a steady growth,'' said Mr Singh.

The 500-million subscriber base target set by the government is achievable and the stiff competition between the network players will provide the consumer the best services at the best prices, he added.

UNI