MOBILE PHONE and equipment chain 3G has “temporarily” closed its Irish stores, with the loss of about 150 jobs while the business seeks new investment.

Customers and staff were told yesterday that the chain, which has 27 stores in the Republic, is temporarily closing.

Sources said that the decision followed a board meeting yesterday afternoon.

Callers to customer helplines operated by the company were told it could be closed for two to four weeks and were informed that the company was engaged in “a re-evaluation”.

The group’s website says it employs 160 people, most of whom were temporarily laid off yesterday.

A number of people have been kept on to manage the business and deal with customer queries.

Some reports yesterday said the company was hopeful it could attract the new investment it needs to reopen the stores.

It was not possible to contact anyone from the business for a comment.

The chain is one of a number of businesses run by telecoms entrepreneur Tony Boyle. He is also the founder of Sigma.

Mr Boyle was one of the backers of the Persona consortium, which in 1996 bidded, along with a number of others, for the Republic’s licence to operate a mobile phone network.

Businessman Denis O’Brien’s Esat operation ultimately won the licence and launched in 1997, but the Moriarty tribunal is now investigating the process.

If the investigation were to find that Esat was wrongly awarded the licence, then competing consortiums such as Persona could have grounds for taking legal action for compensation against the State.

The 3G stores, which are not connected to mobile operator 3, sell mobile phones, wireless broadband packages, iPhones and a range of other equipment from outlets on high streets and shopping centres. It also has an online retail business.