The mobile operator has pipped T-Mobile by setting the date for the release of its 3G data card and handsets

Orange announced details on Thursday of its 3G network plans, with a data card scheduled for release this month and some Orange-compatible 3G handsets hot on its heels.

The Orange Mobile Office Card will provide coverage to around 66 percent of the UK by population with what it describes as a "seamless" handover between the 2.5 and 3G networks.

The card will be offered with a range of tariffs, the most expensive being £75 per month for an all-you-can-use arrangement, with the 3G card reaching speeds of 384Kbps. Prices for the card itself start at £85, up to £255 with the pay-as-you-use tariff.

Users will also be able to roam on the Continent with Orange's Freemove partners in Spain, Italy and Germany, as well as Orange's own network in France. The cards will officially be available from Orange shops on 19 July and through various partners from August.

Sanjiv Ahuja, Orange's chief executive, described the launch as "the first major step, not just for Orange, but, in some ways, for all the European operators", adding "it's time for the industry to start catching up to Orange."

source: Zdnet.co.uk