GSMA to Push Cheaper 3G Handsets

June 20, 2006 - source: BWCS

Influential mobile industry group, the GSM Association (GSMA), said today that its members plan to speed up the development of low-cost, mass market, 3G handsets to make mobile Internet and multimedia services available to more users. According to the GSMA a group of its operator members plans to establish a core set of common features for 3G handsets in the next few months to help build economies of scale for making cheaper phones.

The usual array of handset vendors, Nokia, Motorola, Siemens, SonyEricsson, Samsung, LG, Huawei etc will then compete to design a 3G handset which matches the common requirements. The GSMA says it will then endorse the winning handset, which will be widely deployed by operators participating in its programme.

According to the GSMA Chief Executive Rob Conway, "Our 3G handset initiative will allow far more people to take advantage of the video clips, mobile music, Internet access, and many other multimedia services now enjoyed by more affluent users in the developed world." A previous GSMA initiative to speed up the production and marketing of cheaper second generation mobile phones, at under US$30 a piece, proved very successful.