DoCoMo ditches 3

Japanese telecoms giant NTT DoCoMo has officially dropped its involvement with third-generation mobile operator 3.

DoCoMo has announced that it will be selling its 20 per cent stake back to 3's parent company, Hutchison Whampoa.

The reason for the split is thought to be 3 feet-dragging over the launch of DoCoMo's data services platform, i-mode, in the UK. A 3 spokesman told silicon.com in March that 3 was looking at all available options.

DoCoMo, evidently, decided that it couldn't wait forever and ditched 3. The company is now rumoured to be in talks with several other operators.

The names in the frame are thought to be 02, Orange and T-Mobile, according to the FT. The UK's biggest operator, Vodafone, is conspicuously absent, having its own 3G initiatives on the go and enjoying some success with its Vodafone live! offering.