Berner Zeitung BZ, Berne, Switzerland:
10 October 2003

Walter Heutschi is the boss of the telecommunications company Comfone, which is based in Berne. The mobile-pioneer and former boss of Swisscom Mobile talks of trends and his own mobile phone habits.

Will you visit Telecom 2003 in Geneva?
Yes, I will be there the whole week. Comfone is likewise present in the Swiss Pavillion, a collaboration of twelve different Swiss enterprises altogether.

What does Comfone do?
We are involved in the area of roaming – the international interconnection of mobile conversations. Three years ago Comfone was extracted from Swisscom by a management buyout and reintegrated into the newly founded TOGEWA group, which employs approximately 100 co-workers.

Which according to your opinion are the most important mega-trends in telecommunications?
Wireless communication belongs here for sure. Hotspots – the so called wireless LAN (WLAN) - make an extensionof fixed networks possible to broadband communication.

Do you see that as a new business field for Comfone?
Exactly. But not only Comfone, but also for its affiliated firm, TOGEWAnet, which has established an open platform for WLAN roaming to connect single hotspots worldwide.

That would then be mobile wireless high-speed communication - and we don't need UMTS any longer?
In a certain sense you are right; but UMTS and GPRS will take on a different meaning, by bridging the white flecks that are without WLAN hotspots. Thus UMTS and GPRS will continue to be important.

A personal question: How much is your monthly mobile phone bill?
Between 1000 and 2000 Swiss Fancs. That depends naturally on how often I am abroad.

Are the fees for mobile telephony too high?
No comment.

Thus, they are too high!
No comment.

In any case, tarifs for international discussions in certain countries are more expensive? Like in the case of Russia? MTS Russia is recent your contract partner.
This is certainly not because of us. We are only responsible for the financial accounting between the individual telecommunications enterprises. It is however true that in individual countries higher tarifs are called for. Their market position is accordingly exploited.

Do you have a mobile that can take photos?
Naturally.

Do you also really use this MMS service?
So far, not yet. It is however very conceivable that I would use further additional services.

Which services are you thinking of?
It would be interesting, for example, to receive a TV news report by mobile; as soon as one arrives in a foreign country. Content is always crucial.

Again a new business field? Comfone could also charge for these services?
That's correct.

By Hans Peter Arnold