Mobile telephone for the Manx Telecom 3G Project, made by NEC Corporation, Japan, 2001. Silver flip-style phone with aerial and keypad.

Mobile telephone for the Manx Telecom 3G Project, made by NEC Corporation, Japan, 2001.

The third generation of mobile networks, known as 3G, promised to offer consistent web access to mobile phone users. The first 3G trials in Europe took place on the Isle of Man in 2001. This mobile phone was one of the handsets used during the trial, which mimicked on a small scale the challenges that would arise when the technology was rolled out across Britain. The NEC Corporation were the principal suppliers of technology for the project, developing handsets like this one for users involved in the trial.