New 3G figures give Vodafone hope
September 25, 2005 - source: BWCS
UK-based global mobile giant Vodafone has announced its latest 3G figures in an effort to prove it is still on track to reach its target of ten million 3G customers by March next year. According to the operator, it had 4.35 million 3G users by the end of August, a rise of over one million, compared to its end of July figure of 3.3 million 3G customers.
The Newbury-based company launched its next generation mobile services in November 2004 and recently announced that it will market no fewer than 15 new 3G handsets this Christmas. However, of the total 3G users it recorded at end of August, only 3.95 million are actually using mobile phones, the other 400,000 are accounted for by the sales of 3G datacards which are used on pcs and notebook computers to provide data access.
So far, most European operators have tended to make only cautious predictions about how many 3G phones they will sell this Christmas. Most models will offer an array of MP3-players, CD-quality sound, high-speed web access and video calls. As the cost of voice calls and texting are driven ever lower, the mobile companies are increasingly keen to expand their audience for new "premium" services such as video.
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