GPRS refers to General Packet Radio Service. It is a non-voice value added service that allows information to be sent and received across a mobile telephone network. With GPRS, user experience of many data applications as well as internet-related services is profoundly improved.

What are the key features of GPRS?

GPRS facilitates instant connections whereby information can be sent or received immediately as the need arises. No dial-up modem connection is necessary. This is why GPRS users are sometimes referred to be as being "always connected".

New Applications Better Applications : GPRS fully enables Internet applications you are used to on your desktop from web browsing to chat over the mobile network.

CHAT: Because of its synergy with the Internet, GPRS allows mobile users to participate fully in existing Internet chat groups rather than needing to set up their own groups that are dedicated to mobile users.

TEXTUAL AND VISUAL INFORMATION: A wide range of content can be delivered to mobile phone users ranging from share prices, sports scores, weather, flight information, news headlines, prayer reminders, jokes, horoscopes, and so on.

STILL IMAGES: Still images such as photographs, pictures, postcards, greeting cards and presentations, static web pages can be sent and received over the mobile network. GPRS allows users to post images from a digital camera connected to a GPRS device directly to an Internet site, allowing near real-time desktop publishing.

MOVING IMAGES: Over time, the nature and form of mobile communication is getting less textual and more visual. The wireless industry is moving from text messages to icons and picture messages to photographs and blueprints to video messages and movie previews being downloaded and on to full blown movie watching via data streaming on a mobile device.

WEB BROWSING: Mobile Internet browsing is better suited to GPRS

INTERNET EMAIL: By linking Internet email with an alert mechanism such as SMS or GPRS, users can be notified when a new email is received. Upon receiving a new email, most Internet email users do not currently get notified of this fact on their mobile phone.

What do I get from GPRS Roaming?

GPRS roaming allows you to enjoy:

Internet access using your PDA/laptop together with your mobile phone. You can surf the web or access your email accounts without any hassles of looking for a phone line or an Internet cafe.

WAP access (Mobilink World) using your phone. Check out the latest news or sports scores even when you are roaming!

Mobile Mail allows you to securely and wirelessly access corporate information like email, calendar and personal contacts, and task while roaming via a GPRS enabled mobile device(PDA/Laptop) or from any Internet enabled PC.

Multimedia Messaging Service or MMS enables you to send and receive memorable MMS from loved ones back home when you roam.

How do I get the right mobile settings?

When you use a GPRS-enabled mobile phone for the first time, you need to define the WAP settings. If you want to use the phone with your laptop computer, you have to define GPRS dial-up settings.

There are several ways to configure these parameters:

Over the Air (OTA) : The parameters are received by an OTA message. Accepting the settings will configure them in your mobile phone. Settings can also be sent over the air by accessing the Mobilink World website www.mobilinkworld.com or by going to www.mobilinkgsm.com and then clicking on the Mobilink World link.

Manually : Mobilink will provide the settings which must then be entered manually using the mobile phone keypad.

If I am accessing data services on a GPRS mobile phone, can I answer incoming calls ?

Yes. With GPRS, subscribers can still answer incoming voice calls while accessing the Internet. The GPRS session will be put on hold and you will be able to resume the data session after the voice conversation is over. As long as you are not downloading files from the Internet, you will still be able to answer and make calls*.

* Ability to make voice calls concurrently with data session is phone dependent.

What will I have to do when I reach my destination ?

When you reach your destination, switching on your phone will automatically select our partner network. However, you must ensure that the network selected is a Mobilink GPRS Roaming partner network. If the GPRS network partner is not automatically selected, you may need to manually select the required network. Refer to your phone user guide for more details. You will not have to change the GPRS settings on your phone in order to enjoy this facility while roaming.

How will I be billed ?

Similar to IR charging, all GPRS usage while abroad will appear in Pak Rupees on your monthly bill. However, if your calls are made near your billing date, they will appear in the following month's bill. Please note that the exchange rate applied will be that of the dates you have traveled on.

How will I be charged ?

GPRS Roaming usage will be charged on the basis of Kilobytes transferred.
Click here for GPRS Roaming Tariff sheet

How is MMS related to GPRS ?

Since MMS messages are heavier in size, the faster way of downloading and sending is via GPRS. Therefore this means that you use GPRS as the medium for sending MMS messages.