Network - 3
The 3 service was launched in the UK on 3 March 2003 (3/3/3). After 32 months of operations, 3 acquired 3.2 million UMTS customers, more than the other UK mobile operators combined. In 2003, 3 launched the UK’s first video mobile network to bring new services to the mobile media market. Given 3G was a new technology, 3 undertook one of the fastest network rollouts in UK history and met their license regulatory requirements three years ahead of schedule. 3 has a roaming agreement with Orange which allows its customers to use their handsets on the 2G network when they move out of 3G coverage. Before January 2007, their partner network was O2.
At the end of 2005, 3 UK had nearly 4 million customers on its network and was the largest 3G network in the UK with more 3G subscribers than all the other networks together. The UK offers both pre- and post-pay services.
3 has used a number of different TV, print and radio advertising campaigns since their launch. Their pre-September 2007 slogan is "Welcome to our Network". Its next slogan is "Fresh on 3", promoting the new "Mix and Match" price plans. 3 has launched a major marketing campaign in May 2009, with the slogan "Changing Mobile Forever", as 3 is offering free unlimited Skype-to-Skype calls to all customers.
3's first retail stores (3Stores) opened at the same time as the network launched, on Oxford Street and High Street Kensington, both in London, and at the Birmingham Mailbox. 3 has an agreement with Superdrug, which stocks exclusively 3's mobile phones. Many Superdrug stores also host a ThreePoint, a separately-staffed, glass-walled kiosk. This agreement came about after Superdrug was purchased by Watson's, a large Asian retailer also owned by Hutchison Whampoa. 3's handsets and contracts are also sold by mobile telephony chains and independents throughout the UK, as well as online retailers.
In October 2005, the second wave of 3Stores opened in larger malls throughout the UK, such as the Harlequin Shopping Centre in Watford, the Bluewater Shopping Centre, and The Mall in Bristol Cribbs Causeway. These stores are now 3's flagship high street shops. On 24 October 2006, 3 announced that it had purchased 95 high street shops from O2, 274 The Link outlets, and 22 shops branded under the O2 banner. 3 announced that these would be rebranded as 3Stores "within weeks", in time for the important Christmas season.
On Friday 11 January 2007, 3 announced it will be closing 107 of its concession stores, leaving only 20.
3 launched SeeMeTV at the end of 2005, allowing its customers to submit their own video content that other subscribers could watch. Users pay a small micropayment (the price decided by the video's creator) to watch these videos. The user who created the videos will get paid 10% of the amount of money that is paid by other users to watch the video. This service does allow some adult content, but this is protected by a PIN to prevent minors accessing it. Users are paid once they have made £10 using PayPal. It is the most popular user-generated mobile service created - since launch there have been over four million downloads of videoclips and it is set to be launched through MSN Spaces.
There is also a feature called 3 mobile tv, which allows users to watch some of their favorite TV shows on their mobile.
3 currently has the highest level of 3G coverage in the UK and went live with HSDPA in September 2007. 3 currently has with full HSDPA coverage in place in north of Manchester and in London. Other UK locations will gradually be HSDPA enabled, with completion in July 2008. Until 30 June 2009, 3UK subscribers could use their service on 3 networks around the world for no extra charge (Ireland, Austria, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Hong Kong and Australia) with '3 Like Home.'