Mobile operator Three (3) is to make its Mobile Broadband customer Dashboard, which launches every time a user connects to the Internet via the service, available as advertising real-estate for major brands. The move means that users will soon be presented by more adverts when they connect, though Three (3) claims that the addition will be "unobtrusive".

The operator is currently looking for the initial set of exclusive advertising partners to sign up until the end of 2009. Launch brands will have the option to receive in the region of 1 to 3m impressions each month. It's understood that the same method has proven to be very successful at Three's sister network in Austria.


Unfortunately we only have Three's (3) word that the new addition will be unobtrusive, sadly no information about the type of adverts has been given. It's also unclear whether or not customers will be charged for data allowance eaten by being forced to download them.

Adverts may normally only be small but if you have a 1GB usage allowance package then the method could easily eat anything from a guesstimate of around 10 to 300KB (0.3MB), which after many reconnections might start becoming a problem.