Hutch prices 3G calls in Britain

By Alex Frew McMillan

Customers will have to buy a new handset from NEC or Motorola at a cost of $627

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HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Hutchison Whampoa has outlined its pricing plans for its third-generation, or 3G, cell phone service in the United Kingdom.

But its British telecom subsidiary "3" is pushing back its launch date for the service, saying it is unlikely to have any paying customers by the end of the year, as it first announced.

Hutch says that the first 20,000 customers will pay a discounted rate of either £59.99 ($94) or £99.99 ($157) a month for a package of 3G minutes, excluding international calls.

That pays for a combination of services including voice calls, video calls, texting, e-mail and video messaging. Customers will have to sign up for a 12-month period.

They will also have to buy a new phone handset from NEC or Motorola that will cost £399 ($627), though discounts may be offered.

'Hello Mum!'

On its Web site, "3" is promoting soccer Premier League highlights, which it has licensed, as well as the service's ability to send video -- a 20-something man takes a bungee jump while screaming "Hello Mum!"

"Give your mates a guided tour of your new car or show them your new haircut," the Web site urges, aiming the service squarely at young men.

Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa had already put off the initial launch of 3G in Britain in September. It has since declined to set a specific date for its introduction, other than saying it would have paying customers in 2002. (Full story)

A spokesman told The Independent newspaper that it is now "pretty unlikely" that the service would launch in this year.

"It's not quite ready yet," he said. "We're nearly there but not quite."

Hutchison Whampoa owns 65 percent of Hutchison 3G U.K. Ltd., with NTT DoCoMo of Japan owning 20 percent and KPN of the Netherlands owning 15 percent.

Shares in Hutch, which is also the world's largest ports operator, closed up 0.49 percent at HK$51.50 on Wednesday, as the Hang Seng fell 0.74 percent. (Asian roundup)

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