May/June 2004

The UK-based Dolphin digital mobile wireless network is due to be switched off at the end of July, according to KPMG Corporate Recovery. The parent company, Dolphin Telecom, has been in receivership for some months.

Dolphin was one of two UK licensees for the TETRA open mobile radio standard ("terrestrial trunked radio"). Inquam Telecom, a joint venture which US-based Qualcomm helped set up, acquired Dolphin in 2002. The predecessor-company was once a leader in the UK's mobile radio business, and at one time had a reported 60,000 users.

Dolphin was particularly popular in markets such as vehicle recovery, construction and some types of haulage and passenger transport, but has been struggling for some time in the face of alternatives such as mobile phones and GPRS.

The TETRA standard is used widely in many other countries, offering a variety of digital voice and data capabilities, and is still used in Britain by O2 Airwave, which runs a network exclusively for emergency and security services.

Rival network operators such as Fleetcom are encouraging Dolphin users to discuss alternative arrangements. Fleetcom, once owned by Dolphin itself, is now one of the only organisations operating a nationwide trunked two-way radio service. Its current offers include an attractive package which features unlimited voice calls plus vehicle tracking with an unlimited number of position "polls" - all for £40 per month.