O2 to invest €250m in third generation services

O2 Ireland is investing €250 million to upgrade its mobile network which will offer third generation mobile services to its customers.

The upgrade will allow consumers to access the internet, send and receive e-mail and download large files like video at high speeds.

The company said it will also deliver higher quality voice and data services.

By December, the company claims the O2 network will support broadband for over 60% of population which will be the main urban areas.

Throughout next year the service will be rolled out to cover 80% of the population.

The upgraded mobile services include broadband at peak rate speeds from 3.6 megabits per second by the end of the year. These speeds will rise to 14.4 megabits by end 2007.

Ericsson Ireland has been awarded the contract to build the new network, which is will incorporate the latest HSPA (high speed packet access) technology.

O2’s Chief Technology Officer, Oliver Coughlan said: “This new investment will allow our customers to enjoy broadband services at home and/or on the move at unprecedented speeds, while also allowing us to rapidly develop new and competitive services to meet Ireland’s increasingly sophisticated mobile communications requirements.”

In September O2 will commence trials internally and in October it will initiate customer trials.

Product and pricing details will be announced in the next few months.