Amazon will finally launch its Kindle e-book viewer in Blighty next week, multiple sources have claimed.
“The rumours I’ve heard are all saying next week,” one source told trade bible The Bookseller.
E-book publishers have reportedly signed non-disclosure agreements with Amazon, another source said. He or she also claimed to have heard news about next week’s launch “from multiple sources”.
Kindle is currently only available to buy in North America, but Amazon has always promised to launch the e-book viewer internationally. However, the retailer has never committed itself to a rollout timeframe.
But one question remains: which UK network operator will Amazon sign to provide access to Whispernet, Kindle’s e-book download service.
Whispernet runs over Sprint’s EvDO network in the US, but since Vodafone has already been running a basic e-book business - Books on Mobile! – since October 2008, the operator could be a natural choice for Whispernet in the UK.
O2, on the other hand, surely won’t want to miss out on signing its name to yet another headline-grabbing product, especially now its iPhone exclusivity period is nearing its end.
