BT Set to Join 3G Party

November 22, 2004 - source: BWCS

UK fixed line operator BT has announced it will launch its own 3G services early next year. The company, which sold off its mmO2 mobile wing three years ago, recently pushed out a range of mobile products aimed at corporate customers in the UK. With its margins increasingly squeezed, the fixed line telco has set its heart on generating £1 billion from mobile services within five years.

BT has partnered with Vodafone to offer its suite of wireless services. According to the former monopoly operator, the deal will allow it to market a number of new services to its business customer base and this will quickly include 3G services. According to BT this will happen "sometime next year".

Its first attempt to hook up corporate users to 3G services will be via laptop data cards which can use 3G and existing WiFi hotspots to offer high-speed connections. The company has also recently announced plans to enable its customers to make calls via W-Lan or mobile networks, although this is expected to take some months to develop.

According to reports in today's Guardian newspaper, BT has yet to decide whether to offer a consumer 3G option. Whilst Vodafone has already pressed ahead with its 3G offering and Orange and T-Mobile have also said they will have 3G phones in stores very soon, mmO2 is prepared to wait until next year before launching any next generation mobile phone services.