According to reports in Corriere della Sera, mobile operator Omnitel does not expect to launch 3G services in Italy until May 2003. The Italian daily paper claims that the Vodafone-owned company will conduct a full test of its next generation mobile phone network before the end of this year, but that it will postpone commercial launch until handsets are more widely available.
Omnitel’s CEO, Vittorio Colao, is quoted as saying: “The true commercial launch will start in May 2003.” However, Colao shied away from describing it as a ‘major launch’, rather it will, he believes, be a gradual process.