Gemalto (News - Alert) announced that its Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM) cards have been picked by Brasil Telecom for the launch of its 3G network in order to deliver more secured and faster wireless data services to Brazilian mobile users.

 

Brasil Telecom (News - Alert) is a Brazilian telecommunication company that provides fixed and mobile data/voice service, national and international long distance calling, data centers, broadband connectivity and dial-up access. Its IPTV service enables the user to watch audiovisual contents, access Web content and play games online.

 

Gemalto provides end-to-end solutions for digital security — from the development of software applications, through the design and production of secure personal devices such as smart cards, SIMs, e-passports, and tokens to the deployment of managed services for its customers to make personal digital interactions more convenient, secure and enjoyable.

 

The company solutions fit into the categories of telecommunications, financial services, e-government, identity and access management, multimedia content, digital rights management, IT security, mass transit, and others.

 

The USIM technology is advanced software that is adapted for 3G networks and loaded in SIM cards. Brasil Telecom that is implementing this technology can offer its users to access its unique value added services and added benefit from higher levels of security on electronic transactions performed with their mobiles, the company said.

 

The USIM cards facilitates mutual authentication between the user and the network. This security feature for mobile broadband connection enables mobile Internet users to perform their transactions in a safer manner.

The USIM cards encrypt both voice and data traffic in the 3G network thereby preventing unauthorized parties to have access to the content. This security feature plays an important role while dealing with financial transactions and corporate activities.

Brasil Telecom’ network is spread across Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Goiás, Tocantins, Acre, Rondônia and Distrito Federal. The company’s subscriber’s base includes 8 million operating fixed terminals, over 4 million mobile accesses, 282,000 public use terminals and 1.6 million ADSL (broadband) accesses, the company says.

 

Benjamin Binet, Gemalto´s Vice-President of Marketing for Latin America said in the press release: “Our USIM technology enables Brasil Telecom 3G users to roam in any 3G network available around the world, thanks to a new software feature. In addition USIM cards provided by Gemalto support future applications such as multimedia content distribution, mobile TV access and mobile payment.”

 

Roberto Rittes, Brasil’s Telecom Director of Mobile Operations and Business Development said in a statement: “The USIM also offers a better address book than GSM network SIM cards, enabling the user to store more data, such as name, address and many contact telephone numbers, text messages (SMS) and other information. USIM cards are more secure and will improve our service business thanks to the improvement on the data transfer capacity.”

 

Gemalto said it is the first company that has been qualified to supply Brasil Telecom’s USIM cards for its 3G network. The company, a combination of Axalto and Gemplus, has pro forma 2007 annual revenues of over €1.6 billion.