The second largest fixed line operator has now launched a mobile option. For £15 per month Virgin is offering an 18 month contract with a 3Gb download limit. The USB modem will be supplied free with the contract and can offer speeds of up to 3.8Mbps. Though, as all mobile customers should be aware, the actual download speed is limited by the 3G signal strength which can vary massively dependent on your location. The 3Gb allowance should be enough for 2000 texts, 200 music downloads, 100 hours of surfing and 100 two minute videos. £15 will be charged for each extra Gb of data downloaded.
As newcomers to the mobile internet market, Virgin will be up against stiff competition especially regarding price. Though a recent report states “Virgin will not be using price to compete for mobile broadband customers, rather the company hopes its reputation for providing good fixed line broadband services will help create interest in the service.”
Also looming in the next month, Google, Sony-Ericsson, Blackberry and Nokia will be launching platforms to go head-to-head with the iphone. Until now, this platform has been largely the domain of the business user. Apple has wisely broadened its scope to include the entertainment market, an approach which Google’s G1 is more than likely to follow.
The big news about the G1 is Android, an open source operating system designed to allow third parties to write new software applications for the hardware. Given Google’s dominance of the web environment, the shift to real-world mobile internet is likely to mean tough competition in the months ahead.