Isle of Man to be the first 3G test site

The world's attention will focus on the Isle of Man in May, if BT beats Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo to be the first to set up a third-generation (3G) mobile test network.

"The race is on to be the first. We don't think it will be easy to win. NTT DoCoMo is making similar claims that it will be the first, and is looking to target its services in Tokyo," said Mark Briers, director of 3G mobile telephony for BT Wireless subsidiary, Manx Telecom.

Manx Telecom has a monopoly on the Isle of Man. The island has a low penetration of mobile phones, with a population of 75,000 and just 28,500 mobile subscribers.

Briers admitted there will only be "a few hundred" 3G handsets available for the launch, and that they won't work on the mainland.

"Is 3G going to be worthwhile? The race is not to deploy first; it's to identify the most functionality and utility. Whoever generates the most subscribers will generate the most revenue," said Jamie Moss, telecoms consultant at analyst Strategis Group.

Manx Telecom gained the 3G licence from the Isle of Man government for "a nominal sum", but has to pay for the 3G infrastructure and is unlikely to recoup its costs from subscribers.

First published in Computing