3, (or Three) is the newest mobile phone network to start operating in the UK.  In May 2000 the UK government awarded five licences to allow third generation wireless services to be run. The largest of the five was set aside for a new entrant in order to increase market competition, which was subsequently bought by Hutchison (current owners of 3).  Hutchison were also the original owners of Orange, but then sold the company to Mannesmann during the telecomms boom. Vodafone then bought Mannesmann, which meant having to sell Orange yet again. Hutchison gathered even more money by selling their 10% stake of Mannesmann before the telecomms bubble burst and valuations fell considerably.

The result of all this was that 3 had enough money to pay for the expensive 3G license, to construct the network, and to create market share by offering excellent deals to early buyers.

3 is currently the UK's leading mobile media company after launching Britain's first video mobile network in 2003.  This overhauled the mobile media market with new and better services.

The three core areas of business for 3 are communications, information and entertainment, their mobile devices all offer a combination of these.

• 3 is currently the largest 3G (third generation) network in the UK and Europe.
• The 3 network is available over 8 countries and now has over 10 million customers, of which 3.5 are in the UK alone.
• The 3G system supports high-speed data connections, as good as, if not better than broadband on fixed lines.  This means it is fast enough to stream video on a mobile phone.
• 3 were the first mobile operator to offer Barclays Football Premiership highlights on video mobile.
• 3 were first to stream live TV over mobile in the UK (Grand National 2005).

Their pricing is very competitive, although they still have issues with their handsets and network. However they still do not offer the data service that 3G makes possible.

Coverage Map:

3 uses a UMTS (3G) network but do not yet have national 3G coverage.  3 has an arrangement for their users to use the O2 network, so the coverage for voice calls is as that of O2. The ability of users to use an existing mobile network was a condition of the licence for the company as a new entrant into the market.