MiPhone building in New Kingston. - File

America Movil, operators of MiPhone, has landed an exclusive contract with Apple Inc to distribute the iPhone in Jamaica and elsewhere in the region, the company has announced.

But the telecoms has not said when the multi-faceted device, and its services, delivered on a third generation (or 3G) platform, would become available in this market, only that its regional rollout would start in Mexico this week.

MiPhone's marketing manager Noel Esty, told Wednesday Business the Jamaican company would have to finalise the build-out of its GSM network prior to launching the service, but said it would happen before school is back in session in September.

"Our current network can't accommodate the plan," said Esty. "Right now, we are erecting the netword to deliver 3G GSM."

Without features

The iPhone instruments are already available in Jamaica, including at a Cable & Wireless Jamaica dealership in New Kingston, but without the attendant plans, which includes such features as live streaming, videos and downloads of email attachments.

"We call them the after-market versions," said Esty.

C&WJ vice-president of communications and corporate affairs Errol Miller said last night that none of the stores owned directly by the company stocks the device.

The regional launch of the iPhone is set for July 11 in Mexico, and thereafter it will be introduced in phases across America Movil's 17 Caribbean and Latin American markets. The Mexican company's subscriber base is about 160 million.

High-speed network

In Jamaica, MiPhone is the third largest mobile service player with about 220,000 subscribers.

"Plans are well under way for America Movil to establish a high speed 3G UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) network in Jamaica," said Esty in a company release.

He told Wednesday Business, on Tuesday, that the company would not be able to cost the service until it has finalised its network.

Apple also has to sign off on the plan under which MiPhone sells the service here. The company currently operates a CDMA network, which offers speeds of 144 Kbps, while 3G has the capability to deliver speeds of up to 3600 Mbps.

The Apple 3G iPhone uses HSDPA or High-Speed Downlink Packet Access technology, for fast downloads of attachments and web pages.

lavern.clarke@gleanerjm.com