O2 make moves in British 3G market

Mobile phone group mmO2 today moved into the market for 3G technology in the UK with the launch of a high-speed datacard.

In the latest sign that competition among network operators is intensifying, mmO2 said its datacard would be available in more than 20 major cities and towns by Christmas.

The datacard enables laptop users to access the internet and download files at four times current speeds from locations such as hotels, airports and pubs.

It incorporates not only 3G but also Wireless LAN and GPRS technology, meaning users do not have to reconfigure their computers before using the datacards.

It is understood that mmO2 has yet to decide whether to launch its own 3G handsets for consumers before Christmas or wait until next year.

With more than 21 million customers, mmO2 is Europe’s sixth-biggest mobile phone operator with assets in Ireland, the UK and Germany. It employs around 13,000 staff.