US mobile firm says 'we won't go 3G'

NEWS The second biggest mobile operator in the US - Cingular Wireless - won't be moving to 3G technology, and instead will rebuild its network on European GSM standards with added EDGE technology. The move confirms shifting thinking on wireless technology in the US and gives European firms a massive lift. It also casts yet another shadow over Lucent Technologies, which was a major supplier to Cingular, but recently scrapped its work on GSM and Edge to save money. Nokia, Ericsson and Siemens have all been chose to work on the $3bn reconstruction of Cingular's network. Cingular's decision makes it the third US mobile operator to back GSM-based technology, following similar moves from Deutsche Telekom-owned VoiceStream and AT&T Wireless.