NTT DoCoMo said it might not reach its full-year sales target for its high-speed third-generation phones.

DoCoMo said sales grew 6.4 percent, helped by demand for third-generation phones.

"You will be able to see a trailer for a film on your third-generation mobile phone, play online games on your television, or take in a concert on your computer."

By 2005, Mr. Woolcock predicts, just 15 percent of the European population will own one of the sophisticated new handsets, known as third-generation phones.

There will be a need for even more towers with third-generation wireless, like video screens on cell phones, said Mr. Fryer.

Nokia's color-screen Model 7210, for instance, is now due to reach the market at the same time the third-generation phones do.

With the acquisition of Orange and the purchase of licenses for third-generation mobile phones, France Telecom has spent about $50 billion this year.

But the phone companies maintain that it would be better to use the licenses for third-generation wireless phones, which are supposed to be able to browse the Internet at high speeds.

These self-regulatory codes will then, for instance, help parents or grandparents or educators to understand what the problems for children using third-generation mobile phones might be.

In a weak economy, consumers are increasingly reluctant to pay $400 for DoCoMo's fancy third-generation phones or spend $100 a month downloading bulky audio files.