Mobile phone operator Vodafone has put back the launch of its 3G service by six months and will not now begin marketing its next-generation applications in the UK until the autumn of 2004.
Back in 2000, Vodafone paid £5.9 billion to obtain a 3G license in the UK and was expected to have introduced a service by now. However, trials have been disappointing and the latest delay is thought to have been prompted by concerns over the lack of suitable handsets.
The only 3G service currently active in the UK is operated by Hutchison 3G UK. It now features an international video calling facility and highlights from Premiership and UEFA Champions League football matches (see 3 Introduces Video Call Service). After an inauspicious start, the service, known as 3, now has more than 150,000 subscribers nationwide.
