T-Mobile tries to steal rivals' 3G thunder

Following in the footsteps of Orange and Vodafone, T-Mobile has announced the launch of its own 3G data card, which will give users the option of switching between 3G, Wi-Fi and GPRS networks.

The cards will have a top speed of 128kbps, which the operator will be stepping up to 384kbps during the next few months.

The timing of the launch might raise a few eyebrows - it's the same date that Orange's own 3G network was switched on.

As part of the package, users will be able to roam between GPRS and 3G, as well as having unlimited use of T-Mobile's hotspots, which the operator numbers at 500 across the UK and 2,500 in Europe as a whole.

T-Mobile has been trialling the data cards with 150 business users prior to launch, including HP.

The launch package will cost £199 plus £70 a month for unlimited data uploading and downloading across all networks. This is likely to come in handy, however, as both of the rival operators offering 3G data cards use speeds of 384kbps already.

While 2004 has seen some form of 3G launch from three of the biggest four mobile operators, third-generation technology won't take off just yet, according to analysts.

Research firm Analysys predicts that by the end of the year, just 5.3 million people will be using a 3G-enabled device in Western Europe. But 3G's time is coming and by 2009, the technology will be in the hands of 240 million users.