Cingular Wireless yesterday opened a wireless Internet portal that targets Spanish-speaking U.S. Hispanics.
The wireless provider debuted the service in nine major markets, all of which have large Hispanic populations.
The new wireless portal, Mi Ventana Movil, mirrors Cingular's existing service, My Wireless Window. The service, which allows customers to e-mail, instant message and shop, is accessible from mobile phones or personal computers.
Cingular, www.cingular.com, claims this is the first time a wireless portal has been designed exclusively for Spanish-speaking U.S. Hispanics.
The company said it will roll out the service in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, among other places, before making it available to all of its markets by early April.
The service can be added to Cingular customers' rate plans for an additional $6.99 per month, the company said. Cingular will waive the monthly fee for the first three months until the end of this month.
Meanwhile, Cingular formed strategic relationships with StarMedia, New York, an Internet company geared toward Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking audiences, and InfoSpace, Bellevue, WA, a provider of infrastructure services for wireless platforms. StarMedia will provide Spanish-language content for the service, while InfoSpace will provide the platform and applications.
