Motorola has announced that it has been selected by the GSM Association (GSMA) to serve for a second phase, as the sole supplier of handsets for the Emerging Market Handset (EMH) program. The EMH is a program dedicated to advance the social and economic development of emerging markets, through mobile communications.

The latest handsets being launched as part of the EMH program, include the C113 and C113a. Motorola will commence delivery of these products, beginning in the first quarter of 2006.

The GSMA estimates that despite 80 per cent of the world's population having wireless access, only 25 per cent are able to use it, with cost identified as the single biggest barrier to mobile communications usage in emerging markets. The partnership with Motorola will aim at extending the reach of mobile telephony and connecting the unconnected in countries such as India, South Africa, Russia, Egypt, Philippines and Indonesia.

According to Ron Garriques, president, Motorola Mobile Devices, "Connecting the unconnected' is a rallying cry across Motorola. In emerging markets, consumers and operators want mobiles that meet specific performance requirements while exceeding expectations for quality, reliability and design."

To underscore its efforts to connect the unconnected, Motorola has unveiled new handsets, which include the C118, C139, C168, C257, and C261, that the company hopes will offer consumers choices that best suit the needs of their professional and private lives.

The C118 provides talk time of up to 450 minutes and standby of up to 350 hours, reducing the need for frequent re-charging. The compact handset features an easy-to-use keypad, selectable ringtones, SMS, alarm clock, screensavers, and games.

The C139 has a color display and durable anti-slip side grips. Features include a 65,000 color TFT display, multi-character phonebook search with internal phonebook storage, SMS, vCard, calendar/datebook with alarm, downloadable ringtones and 700 minutes of talk time/450 hours of standby time. The phone also includes zoom font, which displays enlarged characters when entering numbers and Motorola s illuminating Lantern technology.

The C168 has storage for up to 600 phonebook entries and 250 SMS messages. The handset has a 65,000 color screen, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), zoom font, polyphonic ringtones, Motorola's Lantern feature and a built-in FM Stereo radio.

The C257 and C261 offer a TFT display capable of 65,000 colors, MMS and up to 450 minutes of talk time and 250 hours of stand-by. The C257 and C261 also include speakerphone functionality, enabling users to engage in conference calls with small groups. In addition, the C261 features a VGA camera.

"Motorola is committed to delivering mobile communications to everyone. Building on the momentum of our mass market portfolio, including the GSMA Emerging Markets Handset Program, we have enhanced and expanded this portfolio to meet the diverse needs of today's consumers globally. Our new devices include inspired designs and focus on the best of the basics, while providing valuable extras that extend their usefulness even further", said Steve Lalla, vice president and general manager, mass market products, mobile devices, Motorola.