Opera to announce deal with major U.S. carrier soon

According to the CEO of Opera, the browser software company is on the verge of a major deal with a U.S. wireless carrier. The pact would mean a big increase in the browser's distribution on handsets in the States. Earlier this year at the CTIA show, the company announced that it had agreed to make its Opera Mini browser available for VirginMobile USA handsets, and to have the software preloaded on one Sprint model. That news disappointed many whom had expected the browser maker to come to terms with a huge U.S. carrier. The company's browsers are  popular in Europe and Asia and an increase in the U.S. handset models that would come equipped with one would be a major plus for the company.

Opera CEO Jon Von Tetzchner said in a recent interview, "We are working ... to provide an Opera Mini-based solution with a major operator in the U.S.," he continued on to say that the upcoming deal is bigger than the ones the company closed with Virgin and Sprint. Helping to facilitate the agreement is Motricity and its partnership with Opera is supposed to hit paydirt when the big deal is announced in the next two weeks. Opera spokesman Ted Miller says that the new deal may not contain his company's branding even though it will be powered by Opera Mini. As far as Motricity is concerned, it will be the first time that the company has provided Opera browsers for mobile handsets. The company provides platforms for delivering mobile content on handsets, including those sold by Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint in the U.S. Currently, Opera Mini comes preloaded on 250 handsets from 45 carriers, most of them arranged through deals outside of the U.S.

source: Yahoo