Mozilla, a free software community best known for producing the Firefox web browse, said it aims to launch handsets based on its Firefox OS operating system for mobile phones.

According to Mozilla, the first set of Firefox OS phones will be available this summer to consumers in Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Mexico, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia, Spain and Venezuela.

These are the first being built entirely to open Web standards, enabling every feature to be developed as an HTML5 application, said the top software firm at the preview of the Firefox OS open mobile ecosystem on the sidelines of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

To date, 17 key operators spanning the globe have committed to the open web device initiative including Gulf telecom giants UAE-based Etisalat and Qatar Telecom.

Etisalat Group CEO Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar said: “We are happy to be part of this innovation and to support Mozilla in the launch of this new operating system. Firefox OS smartphones will make a valuable addition to our portfolio and grant our customers a rich and personalised experience. We welcome this development and congratulate Mozilla on their progress.”

Mozilla said the company aims to add more markets soon and also announced new operator rollout plans.

Besides the Gulf operators, the other key ones are AméricaMóvil, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom,  Hutchison Three Group, KDDI, KT, MegaFon, SingTel, Smart, Sprint, Telecom Italia Group, Telefónica, Telenor, TMN and VimpelCom.

"Firefox OS brings the freedom and unbounded innovation of the open Web to mobile users everywhere," said Gary Kovacs, CEO, Mozilla.

"With the support of our vibrant community and dedicated partners, our goal is to level the playing field and usher in an explosion of content and services that will meet the diverse needs of the next two billion people online," he added.-TradeArabia News Service