The T-Mobile network is to launch the UK’s first picture messaging service via mobile phones this weekend.
The service will cost an extra £20 a month, and will also give users internet access and unlimited text messages.
The success of picture messaging is seen as vital for mobile phone operators, who are betting on data services to drive growth in the industry.
The new services come ahead of the introduction of third generation – or 3G – mobile phone services, which will allow people to watch moving images on their phones.
Companies have spent billions of pounds on 3G licences, but many industry watchers have questioned whether people will want to pay for the services.
“We think this is a very very important step towards 3G,” T-Mobile’s UK chief executive Harris Jones said.
And Mr Jones said he was confident that the service would be popular – despite the price.
“I think that it’s proven that customers are very interested in transmitting and communicating with each other.
“We know from early indications in Japan that picture messaging is going to be the most compelling data service in the industry.”
However, text messaging services have been particularly successful with the teenage market, so a monthly £20 fee may be seen as prohibitively expensive.
In order to be able to use the new service, T-Mobile customers will have to use a Sony Ericsson T68i handset.
The phone has an extension to plug in a camera. Once digital pictures are recorded, they can be sent on.
Customers can also access a T-Mobile picture messaging centre that has a gallery of pictures available to brighten up the phone’s screen.
Later this year a Nokia handset will be available with a built-in camera.
Mr Jones said he thought the ability to send pictures would be very popular when people are on holiday, as they could send snapshots back to friends and family in the UK.
“In many respects we’re tackling the postcard market place, which is a £50bn a year market place,” he said.
“The £20 fee that’s been noted is actually a comprehensive fee that will include all of your data transmission.
“It’s e-mail, it’s picture messaging, it’s anything you want to do in terms of data from the phone.”
The T-Mobile network in the UK was until last month known as One2One. It was rebranded in April by its parent company Deutsche Telekom.