3 yesterday announced the launch of X-Series, a new suite of services that bring the best of the Internet to the mobile phone for a flat monthly fee, bringing fixed line broadband pricing to the mobile at last.

With X-Series consumers can use their mobile to access services previously reserved for the PC. Customers can make and receive free calls using Skype, access their personal media files such as photos or music stored on their home PC with Orb, and get the best internet and instant messaging services from ninemsn, Yahoo!7, Google and eBay - all on their X-Series mobile phone, delivering a unique mobile broadband experience.

In Australia to launch X-Series today, Frank Sixt, Group Finance Director Hutchison Whampoa which operates the 3 Group around the world said, "For the first time the world of broadband internet fits in your pocket - and it's priced in a way that means it's accessible and affordable, putting an end to customers counting each click, each event, each minute for fear of running up big bills doing what they love doing on their PC at home or in their office."

The X-Series is a global product innovation from 3, already launched in markets across the world including the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden and Hong Kong.

Nigel Dews, CEO, 3 said: "X-Series is all about giving customers the freedom, choice and experience they get from the internet today on a PC, on their mobile. Once again we've taken a fresh new approach to pricing, opting to encourage customers to use exciting services like Skype and Orb as well as the internet with the large data allowance they get, rather than slapping a premium on the service and penalising customers for using it - or worse - not encouraging its use at all for fear of bill shock. It's very similar to broadband pricing consumers know at home today - but in many instances will be much better value."

An example is that for $30 a month customers get 1 Giga byte of data to use surfing the internet, accessing their photos or music on their home PC, or simply plugging in their mobile to a laptop and using it as a modem. That $30 also includes a generous allocation of free Skype to Skype calls and unlimited access to a great range of Planet 3 content including News, Sports and Weather.

Fixed broadband alliance supports X-Series experience
To support the mobile broadband experience, 3 also today announced an alliance with fixed broadband provider iiNet to offer X-Series customers a discounted home broadband service (available from 6 April), which will allow them to experience the Orb service on their mobile. Since Orb allows you to view, listen to or watch the media files you have on your home PC on your mobile, a high speed home broadband connection is important.

"Bringing iiNet to our X-Series customers will not only complete their experience but also add to the value equation our customers expect from 3. Our companies share the same values around pricing and leading the market," said Dews.

Commenting on the alliance, iiNet Managing Director Michael Malone said, "The X-Series from 3 represents a truly innovative approach to bringing the internet to the mobile. We are delighted to provide the broadband speeds and service to complement customers' X-Series experience."

HSDPA Upgrade completed nationally - Fast just got faster
X-Series will be an even better mobile broadband experience for those customers who choose an X-Series mobile which is also HSDPA ready. 3 also announced today that it has completed its network upgrade to HSDPA across its 3G network, which means that customers with HSDPA mobiles or data cards can expect typical download speeds ranging from 600 kbps to 1.5 Mbps, with a theoretical maximum download speed of up to 3.6 Mbps.

More details of the X Series from 3:

Skype
171 million Skype users today make free calls to other Skype users across the world. An X-Series customer will be able to make and receive free Skype with Skype users around the world, and to any other Skype 3 mobile customer.

Orb
With Orb consumers can use their X-Series mobile to remotely and securely access media files (including photos, music and videos) saved on their home PC.

Messaging
Important for keeping in touch, included in the X-Series is MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger. Customers can send and receive unlimited instant messages, keeping in touch with IM buddies when out and about.

Mobile Web
Mobile Web is a service that allows you to easily surf the open internet on your 3 mobile, through the launcher on an X Series mobile or Planet 3. It easily allows quick access to Google, nineMSN Hotmail and Yahoo! Mail plus other great sites on the move.

eBay
X-Series customers will be able to search, buy and bid on eBay whenever they want with their 3 X-Series mobile. eBay has 5 million Australian members.

Pricing
X-Series is priced in a way similar to fixed broadband - a simple, monthly flat rate with a generous data allowance to suit different usage needs. All X-Series mobiles can be used as a modem (as all of 3's mobiles can), and with the data allowances included, downloading data and accessing the internet can be done with greater peace of mind. Customers can keep an eye on their spend if they want to online or on their mobile with a free service called My3.

In addition to Orb, Skype and other services such as MSN Messenger and Yahoo! IM, Mobile Web, Google and eBay, all X-Series packages include unlimited access to the best of Planet 3 with the Bumper Pack including News, Sports, Weather, entertainment and information plus 3's Email.

Once the right X-Series plan has been chosen, customers can pick any voice plan and one of the X-Series mobiles.

X-Series Mobiles
Alongside a strong suite of services, pricing plans and a truly mobile broadband experience, 3's X-Series is available on a number of mobiles at launch. The N73 and E65 from Nokia and two HSDPA-enabled mobiles - the DoPod 810 and the LGU830. Further mobiles will be announced shortly. Not all X-Series services will be available on every mobile, so customers will be able to choose which mobile suits them for their needs.

X-Series is available from today in 3 Stores across Australia. Visit www.three.com.au or call 13 16 84.