layout: post title: Flat rate mobile from 3 in the UK created: 1164089873 categories:

• Wireless, Cellular, and Mobile
• X-Series
• UK
• Skype
• Fido
• Europe
• 3 Group

Flat rate mobile broadband? 3 Group in the UK just announced their "X-Series" -- flat-rate broadband Internet access on their mobile phones, with interesting tie ins with everyone from Google to Sling boxes to Orb.

I saw this a couple of different places, and agree with Troy -- I also hope that this "will drive a chain reaction and like the Berlin wall, this would cause flat-rate pricing and open gardens to flourish across the planet, creating a massive open platform upon which innovation would explode across the 2 billion phones currently on the planet."

At the same time, I spent some time today looking at a mobile service that still includes WAP and really simple services. This is a huge addressable market, but it doesn't seem as interesting as some of the "next step" smart platforms that we're seeing. 

Of course, my recent trip to the US saw me paying 95¢ per minute for roaming charges. Due to my grandfathered Fido plan, my data services the whole way were free. In what universe does this make sense?