Pre-Christmas 3G launch anticipated for O2 Ireland

June 26, 2005

O2 Ireland is likely to launch i-Mode and 3G mobile phone services before the Christmas period. The i-Mode service will be the launch platform for the long-awaited 3G service.

O2, having already launched 3G service in Britain and Germany, will be looking to go up against it rival Vodafone Ireland. Vodafone currently offers 3G services which also includes a 3G data card for access to the fast network via a laptop computer. The competition is set to increase with 3 Ireland expected to heavily push its 3G service.

The i-Mode service, created by Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo, and will be available to O2 Ireland's pre-paid and post-paid customers. While DoCoMo has amassed over 44 million i-Mode users in Japan, the service has a relatively low number of users outside of Japan.

O2 Ireland's head of consumer services, Colm Codd, said more details of the service will be available later this summer. He added that the service provides a consumer friendly email service.

He also confirmed that free phones would not be part of any promotional campaign for the service in Ireland.