Sabre Travel, Proximus Belgacom sign deal

BRUSSELS -- Sabre Travel Network, a global distributionsystem (GDS) that connects travel suppliers and agents, has signed a contract with Belgian mobile phone operator Proximus to make its Virtually There personalised travel website available through Proximus’ wireless Internet service. The deal gives Proximus customers who book their travel through a Sabre Connected travel agent full access to their personal travel details at virtuallythere.com, via the Proximus network.

The itineraries available at the website include details about all air, car and hotel reservations. The Sabre Virtually There wireless website also offers travellers real-time flight and gate information as well as local weather conditions.

"Travel plans can change in a split second," said Stuart Nassos, Sabre Travel Network’s European vice president of marketing and customer services. "As a frequent traveller I know how frustrating this can be. We think we can help by putting the power of real-time information in travellers’ hands, whether they’re on the go or in the office."

Wireless travel potential

“We are constantly looking for ways to enhance the value that wireless technology is able to provide," said Xavier Huberland, consumer mobile division director of Proximus. "Travel is definitely one of the areas with great potential."

Sabre Travel Network, a Sabre Holdings company, provides access to the world's leading global distribution system (GDS) and products and services enabling agents at more than 56,000 agency locations worldwide to be travel experts. Originally developed in 1960, the Sabre GDS was the first system to connect the buyers and sellers of travel. Today the system includes more than 400 airlines, approximately 60,000 hotels, 53 car rental companies, nine cruise lines, 36 railroads and 232 tour operators.

Two months ago, Proximus announced an early start of the technical launch of its UMTS network, the third generation of mobile telephony. This launch is considered an essential phase in the roll-out process for this new technology, and a prelude to the market launch planned for 2005 at the latest.

UMTS postponement

On 8 February 2002, the Belgian Minister for Telecommunications, Public Enterprises and Participations decided to postpone for a further year the roll-out of UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecom System, third-generation mobile telephony), as written into the licenses allocated by the Belgian State in March 2001. The technical opening of the network was scheduled to take place before 15 September 2003, with a 30% coverage of the population before January 2006. 

Almost two months earlier than the official start date, Proximus says it is is the first Belgian mobile operator to take up the technical challenge of third-generation mobile telephony, and thus renew its commitment to offering its customers a superior-quality mobile telephony network.

Almost ten years after the introduction of GSM in Belgium, Proximus said it is now testing future mobile telephony applications such as mobile video telephony, video streaming and video messaging, and continues to deploy its UMTS network. The commercial launch of first third-generation services is planned for 2005 at the latest.