3G Wireless Web for 3UK

Europe : 3, the UK's first video mobile network, today announced the launch of two new services to deliver a high quality mobile internet experience. From mid-September customers on 3 will be able to sign up to the two new services 'Mobile Web' and the 'Wireless Web'.

Mobile Web
The 3 Mobile Web service will enable customers to visit hundreds of the internet's most popular sites direct from their video mobiles while ensuring a high quality viewing experience. For a flat rate of just £2.50 per month, customers with a contract on 3 will be able to download up to 5 MegaBytes of content, or an average of 500 pages each month from the 'Mobile Web', depending on the richness of the page.

The 'Mobile Web' significantly extends 3's service for customers, by offering them access to websites that are optimised for viewing on compatible video mobiles. This means the customer can be sure that both front pages and sub-pages are viewable, that the speed of download is high and that all the site's key activities are available.

3 expects the number of sites accessible through the 'Mobile Web' to grow quickly as more sites are optimised and has invited customers to nominate sites they would like to access from their mobiles.

Gareth Jones, COO of 3, said: "We are about offering the best of the web on mobile and ensuring the customer experience. Currently only a fraction of the internet works well on mobile - but the good news is that many of the UK's most popular sites, including the BBC, eBay and Amazon have now been optimised. We are committed to extending the choice of high-quality video mobile services - this service means the best of internet is now available to our customers over their mobiles.

He added: "This is a two-way street, we have over three million customers and we want our customers' help - we're asking them to nominate what sites they want and we'll check whether they make sense on mobile. We expect to add hundreds more over the coming months."

3 will continue to offer services directly through its 'Today on 3' entertainment channel, as well as via a range of sites managed by partners such as lastminute.com and FHM - which offer a bespoke mobile experience. All 3 customers also have a unique 3 email address and access to off-portal content via video shortcodes.

Wireless Web
'Wireless Web' will be available on 3 from mid-September to provide open internet access for customers with laptops, using their 3 handset as a modem.

For customers with a contract on 3, the Wireless Web provides internet access at a flat rate of £45 per month, under this price plan customers will be able to download up to 512 MegaBytes of data.

Graeme Oxby, Marketing Director of 3 UK said: "For the mobile worker, the Wireless Web offers an unbeatable service to all our customers who currently have a contract on 3. Like all 3's products and services, we've designed Wireless Web to be simple and easy to understand. It is simply priced, offering great value, simply packaged and as we have the best 3G coverage, we believe it is simply the best for service."