Samsung Launches 3G Mobile Devices

The Argentine unit of South Korean hardware manufacturer Samsung has become the first manufacturer to distribute 3G mobile devices in the country, daily Infobae reported.

Samsung Argentina has received the first shipment of 3G devices and in a few weeks these telephones are due to be offered by mobile operators Personal, a unit of Telecom Argentina, and Movistar Argentina, owned by Spanish giant Telefónica.

The first device to be marketed in the country is the A706. With a bandwidth of 2MB, 3G services give users access to videoconferencing, video message services and broadband internet access.

According to Juan Gnius, vice president of Signals Consulting, Telecom Argentina is the only operator in the country to have announced plans so far to launch a UMTS platform, which he expects to be deployed by the beginning of the second half of the year.

However, Gnius also expects CTI Móvil, a unit of América Móvil, to make a similar announcement soon.

"There are going to be very specific launches. There is not going to be a national [3G] network, but rather big cities such as Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Rosario will have coverage," Gnius told BNamericas.

Gnius added that the service would be snapped up by the typical early adopters but does not foresee widespread adoption of 3G in the short to medium term."

Posted to the site on 6th April 2007