3 have launched flat-rate mobile broadband access services in the UK with the announcement of X-series. The new service will allow customers what is billed as unlimited access to Skype, MSN Messenger, Orb and Internet access for a single fee on top of normal call charges.

The service, which launched last Friday, is available on the Nokia N73 and Sony Ericsson W950i initially, with other handsets due for release next year.

Bob Fuller, CEO of 3UK, said: "The X-Series from 3 is now on sale in our 3 Stores across the UK. Priced like fixed line broadband, customers will be charged flat access fees for X-Series mobile broadband services. This means it is free at the time of use, for a flat fee. The X-Series from 3 is about giving the people the internet as they want it, on their mobile and removing the barriers to usage that per-megabyte data charges have imposed on people. "

3 users will also be able to use a Slingbox, also available from 3, to watch TV or pre-recorded digital media on their mobile for an additional fee per month on either the Silver of Gold acess package.

The service starts at around £20 a month for the X-Series Silver package, based on an 18 month contract, and line rental on all options rises after the first 6 months. The touted unlimited usage is also not unlimited, with a fair use policy in place which limits mobile data use to 1Gb a month, 10,000 MSN messages a month (although this data doesn't count towards your data usage), 5,000 Skype minutes per month, and no more than 80 hours of Slingbox and Orb access.

Via 160 Characters.