The UK arm of O2 is reported to be preparing to drop support for the i-mode mobile internet service within the next few weeks. The UK newspaper, The Guardian has reported that the company will stop selling i-mode capable handsets at the end of this month - although it will maintain the service for the next couple of years for existing users. It is not immediatly clear if the service will get updates in the future or will be mothballed.
The newspaper says that the i-mode service, which was launched with a US$20 million advertising campaign two years ago, has only acquired some 260,000 active users. For comparison, O2 ended the first quarter of this year with some 17.6 million customers according to figures from the Mobile World analysts.
O2 has been notifying handset suppliers not to expect any more orders for i-mode handsets. Customers will be encouraged to switch to other O2 mobile internet services when their contracts come up for renewal.
"
Posted to the site on 17th July 2007
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/24961.php