ITU says 3G rollout may be later

date: August 14, 2001

The secretary-general of ITU, Yoshio Utsumi said a worldwide 3G mobile phone service will begin considerably later than the previously anticipated start period of 2001.

"Since telecommunications providers in the U.S. and Europe have invested large and perhaps excessive amounts of capital in securing spectrum rights, the profitability of 3G telephone service is uncertain," said Utsumi in a Nihon Keizai Shimbun interview. Utsumi is visiting Japan.

In Japan, spectrum rights are currently free. As a result, domestic telecommunications companies have not invested the large sums of money in securing spectrum that telecommunications firms in the U.S. and Europe have. NTT DoCoMo already began a trial service in Japan in May called FOMA.

"If service was to begin immediately in the U.S. and Europe, communications charges would be too high," explained Utsumi.

ITU had specified the objective for 3G radio technology is to provide minimum services with bit rates up to at least 2mbps for low-mobility users, and up to 144 kbps for high-mobility users.

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