Phone firms are looking to other services to boost revenue

Mobile phone firms have been seeking new areas to boost revenue - and Cingular's service will rival 3G style products from Verizon and Sprint.

Cingular's service will feature internet access and video calls.

AT&T Wireless, which Cingular bought in February, has already been offering a similar product in some areas.

Cingular said its major handset providers - Nokia, Motorola and LG - would be providing new models for the service.

Its 3G network will use technology known as UTMS, which offers slightly faster access speeds - and potentially more advanced features - that the EV-DO platform used by Verizon and Sprint.

Last month US regulators approved Cingular's $41bn (�22bn) purchase of AT&T Wireless, resulting in the merger of the second and third largest mobile phone operators in the US.