Ofcom Issues 3G Rollout Guidelines, Steps Into Call Dispute"

LONDON -(Dow Jones)- U.K. telecommunications regulator Ofcom Tuesday published its technical guidelines for mobile phone operators who are extending their 3G network coverage.

Following a consultation with the telecoms industry and the U.K.'s five 3G, or third-generation, phone network owners, Ofcom Tuesday issued technical specifications that need to be achieved.

By the end of the year the 3G owners Hutchison Whampoa's Hutchison 3G UK, Telefonica's O2, Deutsche Telecom's T-Mobile, France Telecom's Orange and Vodafone Group will have to provide 3G services -which provide faster data download speeds -to an area of the U.K. covering 80% of the population.

Ofcom also said this week that it had been asked by T-Mobile and O2 to intervene and settle a dispute between the mobile phone operators and the U.K. fixed-line telephony incumbent BT Group over call termination rates.

T-Mobile and O2 have both proposed higher call termination rates to BT, saying that an increasing proportion of calls are being terminated on their 3G network, which cost more.

BT has also asked for Ofcom to resolve a similar dispute with Hutchison 3, Orange and Vodafone, after the operators rejected BT's proposed rates.

Company Web site: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/

-By Daniel Thomas, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9264; dan.thomas@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires "

Posted to the site on 27th February 2007