How Successful Is 3G REALLY In The UK?

How successful is 3G REALLY in the UK? I'm getting mixed messages about 3G take-up in the UK. On one hand, 3 announce that they have added 3m subscribers (http://www.guardian.co.uk/mobile/article/0,2763,1449689,00.html), and then on the other that Vodafone is thought to have attracted fewer than 200,000 customers in the UK to date (http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,1438432,00.html), and Virgin Mobile have announced that they are pulling back from a a major launch of 3G due to a sensing a lack of interest (http://www.guardian.co.uk/mobile/article/0,2763,1441419,00.html)among subscribers for the new technology.

The mobile operators have spent a small fortune, enough to wipe out the debt of a third world country on launching 3G, and an even bigger fortune on acquiring licences. I was personally part of the Vodafone Live! launch in 2002, so I know that Vodafone have spent more on launching 3G given the extra coverage it has had.

So, despite spending millions launching their services why aren't consumers switching to 3G? Do the operators need to offer cheaper voice minutes to get people to take 3G handsets in the hope that consumers will start to use data services?

Maybe the operators have made a fundamental mistake - there's no point persuading users to upgrade to 3G to make videocalls, only for them to realise they have no one to call! If none of your mates have got a video-calling handset then it's useless.

Until 3G penetration reaches some sort of critical mass then I think users won't get excited about video calling.

Connected runs a blog following developments in the internet and mobile internet sectors. Connected has over 10 years experience in strategy consulting and business development, and has seen and lived through the highs, and the lows of the industry.

Based in London, Connected can be contacted on admin@connectedinternet.co.uk and his blog can be found at http://www.connectedinternet.co.uk

In The News:


Current World News

T-Mobile, Yahoo Partner On Web2Go Mobile Search
InformationWeek, NY - Nov 20, 2008
A recent comScore M-Metrics survey found that less than 8% of cell phone users have used a mobile phone to surf the Web. The statistic shows that mobile ...
Yahoo And T-Mobile Bring Web2Go To Mobile Phones CRN
T-Mobile launches web2go portal, reprices data packages Mobile Burn
Yahoo Wins Boost From T-Mobile USA Wall Street Journal
BloggingStocksall 158 news articles

Scientific American

Fact or Fiction?: Cell Phones Can Cause Brain Cancer
Scientific American - 7 hours ago
... the House Subcommittee on Domestic Policy held to determine whether mobile phones are safe. "Long term and frequent use of cell phones which receive and ...
Cancer Boss in mobiles warning Scotlands Oracle
Turmoil threatens cancer center viability Bizjournals.com
all 6 news articles

With CellTrust's Secure SMS, Barack Obama Can Retain His Personal ...
MarketWatch - 7 hours ago
... have the capabilities of remote wipe -- clearing traces of his incoming and outgoing messages on his cell phone - should the device be lost or stolen. ...

Canada.com

Do smart phones really provide productivity gains?
TechRepublic, KY - 1 hour ago
Even the ability to text and send email on a regular cell phone has all sorts of impacts on people. People can’t have simple meals without reaching for the ...
BlackBerry Faithful Gather For The Storm CRN
Farhad Manjoo and Chris Thompson Washington Post
RIM's Storm Rising, As Is Handset Warfare Investor's Business Daily (subscription)
Red Herring - TG Dailyall 697 news articles

CTV.ca

Obama Verizon Cell Phone Account 'Should Have Been Deleted'
CRN, NY - 4 hours ago
The exposed Verizon mobile phone account was not from a Blackberry or other smart phone storing large amounts of personal and financial data, ...
Video: President-elect Obama's Cell Phone Record Hacked AssociatedPress
Verizon employees suspended after peeping Obama cell records Ars Technica
Verizon staff break into Obama's cell phone account Current IT news from heise online
Times of India - Forbesall 545 news articles

mig33 Surpasses 18 Million Registered Mobile Users Worldwide, Adds ...
MarketWatch - 7 hours ago
... mobile social network, today announced that it has launched new services greatly increasing functionality to more than 18 million registered cell phone ...

CNET News

T-Mobile's picture frame not worth the monthly fee
CNET News, CA - 6 hours ago
Kent German is a senior editor for cell phone reviews at CNET. When he's not testing the newest handsets on the market, he's blogging about cell phone news ...

Adding Cell Phones to Your PBX
TMCnet - 8 hours ago
RIM is not the only company offering mobile network providers equipment that integrates cell phones with corporate PBXs; there are several, ...
Getting the Mobility Tiger by the Tail TMCnet
all 2 news articles

New York Times

The best thing about the 2.2 iPhone software update
CNET News, CA - 7 hours ago
Almost every other cell phone on the planet allows you to do this, so it's nice to see that the iPhone now does the same. Of course, the other additions are ...
Apple Releases iPhone 2.2 Update InformationWeek
iPhone firmware 2.2 with Street View, OTA podcasts arrives Yahoo! Tech
all 118 news articles

ABC News

Mobile phone deflects bullet
Scotsman, United Kingdom - 3 hours ago
A MAN who put his mobile phone in his breast pocket escaped serious injury after it deflected a stray bullet, it emerged yesterday. ...
Man Saved From Lethal Shot By Cell Phone In His Shirt Pocket CityNews
Phone saves man from shot Straits Times
The mobile phone is mightier than the bullet 3 News NZ
all 272 news articles
mobile cell phone - Google News

4 Dazzling Midrange Cell Phones

Your next cell phone can be a stripped down model... Read More

New Tips For Shopping Cellular Services

The best money saving practice for buying new cellular phones... Read More

Cellular Phones ? Things to Consider When Buying a Phone

Staying connected with a cell phone has become a way... Read More

Cellular Phone Accessory

Cellular phone accessory list.There is a wide variety of products... Read More

Selecting a Cell Phone

More Than Just a PhoneSelecting a cell phone is no... Read More

Cell Phones Can Damage Your Eyes

A recent scientific study identified a link between microwave radiation... Read More

Camera Cell Phones -- More Uses Than You Could Have Imagined

I was shopping in the large superstore with my five-year-old... Read More

Add a Cell Phone Booster to Make Life a Little Easy

Cell Phones have become a mainstay for every earthling. Right... Read More

Billing Woes For Telcos

The rapid rise in the telecom industry over the last... Read More

Americans Catching on to Wireless Text Messaging

Once considered a teenage fad, text messaging popularity in the... Read More

Ringtone Creation Software - Creating Raves or Waves?

Okay, so we all know that you can change the... Read More

Camera Cell Digital Phone

Camera cell digital phone - description.Camera cell digital phone is... Read More

Cell Phone Safety - Am I Really At Risk

It's a sad commentary on the way of the world... Read More

Best Cell Phones - Cell Phone Shopping 101

Before the advent of cell phones, communications may not have... Read More

Camera Cell Phone Verizon

Camera cell phone by Verizon ? offer with a service... Read More

Smart Phones ? Are They Really A Smart Decision

First, there was the standard land line phone system; then... Read More

Knowing All the Features of New ?Smartphones?

The new "smartphones" have a lot of really cool features.... Read More

Recycling Mobile Phones

Recycle Cell PhonesTechnological advancements providing users with improved reception through... Read More

Have Some Fun With Cell Phone Games

You're never too old to have some fun. With the... Read More

Cell Phone Abuse: Are You A Victim?

Like millions of others, you may be the victim of... Read More

Will Your Cell Phone Work in an Emergency?

If you're one of the millions of cell phone users... Read More

Cellular Ring Tones: The Latest Way To Say This is Me!

Ringtones, those digital sound bites that 'ring' through cell phones... Read More

How to Find the Best Long Distance Rates

These days the best long distance rates are not found... Read More

Prepaid Cell Phone for Teenagers

It's hard to look back and imagine what we did... Read More

Taking Care of Your Cell Phone Batteries

Picking a new cell phone model and pricing plan is... Read More