Norway's Opera launches Mini mobile phone browser

OSLO: Norway's Opera Software launched a system on Wednesday allowing access to the Internet via mobile phones normally incapable of running a Web browser, giving its shares a boost.

Opera said in a statement the new "Opera Mini" would work for most of the estimated 700 million WAP-enabled phones around the world.

"Opera offers full customization of Opera Mini to companies, for example broadcasters, operators, mobile content providers and the Internet industry, that would like to include their own version of Opera Mini as part of their mobile content offerings," the statement said.

It said the "Opera Mini" would be offered first in Norway as a free download by Norway's independent TV2 and that the system might raise revenues for mobile companies by making new content available.