Sonera and Nokia take 3G to the Finnish

Finnish operator Sonera has hit its deadline for getting its 3G network up and running and is working with its main partner, Nokia, to launch to the mass market next year.

At an event held at Kiasma, the Helsinki Museum of Contemporary Art, Sonera promised 3G would be integrated with existing mobile services and prove "suitable for everyday life".

Nokia is using the event to showcase its 6650 handset, a dual-mode GSM/W-CDMA terminal which will work on networks across Europe and Asia, including Japan, the world leader in W-CDMA 3G usage.

The handset giant has emphasised the dual-mode capability because some 3G users in Japan early on became dispirited with having to carry on two handsets. 3G will usually be rolled out gradually across a country and often never match current 2G coverage.

The Nokia 6650 features a large colour screen and an integrated camera which can capture still images and video. However, some competitors have claimed it is clunky compared to offerings from manufacturers in the Far East.

Sonera is also using Nokia's Delivery Server to allow end users to download content such as Java games and polyphonic ringtones.

So far operators in Japan and Korea have led the way with 3G roll outs with even US operators - long considered mobile laggards - making available 3G-like services. Europe, which has settled on the W-CDMA standard, has seen little mass market action. Sonera has 2.5 million Finnish subscribers, 60 per cent of that market.