---
title: "3 Trumpets Mobile Web Breakthrough with X-Series"
date: 2006-11-20
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2006"
    url: "/tag/2006.md"
---

# 3 Trumpets Mobile Web Breakthrough with X-Series

![](https://web.archive.org/web/20110720012654im_/http://rww.readwriteweb.netdna-cdn.com/images/3xseries.jpg)[The BBC wonders](https://web.archive.org/web/20110720012654/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6155678.stm) if British mobile operator 3 has “discovered the holy grail of the mobile phone industry”, simply by bundling some mobile web services together and making it flat rate pricing. Mobile Web expert Ajit Jaokar is [very bullish](https://web.archive.org/web/20110720012654/http://opengardensblog.futuretext.com/archives/2006/11/the_future_is_b_1.html) on this news.

3’s new package is called **[X-Series](https://web.archive.org/web/20110720012654/http://xseries.three.com/)** and here’s what’s in it:

- Skype internet telephony
- Microsoft Messenger
- Ebay
- Unlimited internet access
- Google search
- Yahoo Go services
- Sling television access
- Orb access to home PC
- Podcast downloads on the move

It’s a useful set of apps, but the BBC thinks “the underlying technologies are not particularly new or cutting edge”. It notes:

> “The special thing about 3’s offering is that it provides all these applications bundled, user-friendly and ready to go – even Sling’s access to your home TV set and Orb’s connection to your own PC.”

What’s being touted as the best feature though is that customers will pay a **flat rate** for all their data transfers – subject to “fair usage limits”. Ever since I’ve had a mobile phone, the cost of accessing the Mobile Web has been the single biggest reason I don’t surf the Web on my phone. A lot of people feel the same way, so this is indeed a welcome (if long overdue) initiative by 3.

It’s not all rosy news. The service is launching in the UK on 1 December, then 3’s other markets (Italy, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Israel, Ireland and Sweden) during 2007. So it’s a limited release geographically – no New Zealand 🙁 Also currently it’s available on only two handsets – Nokia’s N73 and Sony Ericsson’s W950. Along with those limitations, there are the usual usability issues with the mobile Web: connectivity, awkwardly small screens, etc. But it’s still early days and any progress the industry makes on making the Mobile Web more accessible and easier to use, is good news.

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/x-series_3_mobile.php))*