The launch of the UMTS service had originally been planned for autumn of this year. Vodafone says it is now looking at introducing the high-speed service around spring of next year.
The UK-based firm said it has chosen to push back the launch date after deciding that the handsets available from two of the suppliers were not yet up to scratch for commercial launch. The company is not satisfied with the handsets’ technical capacity.
The downturn in the telecoms market, combined with problems with handset availability, has delayed 3G rollout the world over. Vodafone is predicting that ultimately only three operators will offer 3G services in Germany.
