LONDON—The Isle of Man’s third-generation (3G) network is now live after about a six-month delay from the original scheduled launch. Manx Telecom, a subsidiary of British Telecommunication’s mm02 mobile arm, is offering what it calls a “live, fully operational 3G trial network” to gauge customer demand, system integration, pricing and billing for mm02’s 3G operators across Europe.
Actual commercial services, to be based on the results of the trials performed on the Isle of Man, are expected to begin in 2003.
Manx Telecom said it is developing a range of mobile data applications using 3G handsets and other devices. The network was built in partnership with NEC and Siemens, which also are supplying terminals and applications. “This fully operational network service will be utilized as a platform for mm02/Manx Telecom to investigate the commercial potential of the multimedia capabilities of 3G/UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System),” Siemens said in a statement.
The 3G network covers about 85 percent of the island’s population using 24 transmitters. Early next year, coverage will increase to nearly 100 percent when the final radio sites are commissioned, mm02 said.
The network will allow Web browsing at 384 kilobits per second (kbps) using a 3G terminal and notebook, video telephony using NEC’s terminal with a built-in camera and color screen, location services, and mobile office and mobile gaming services. Mm02’s Genie portal will be used for the network’s subscribers.
In early 2002, handsets will be given to a sample of the island’s population, and applications will be evaluated for their commercial feasibility. Calls can be made to and from the island’s GSM network and all fixed-line networks, Siemens said.
