Vodafone Group plc launched its UMTS-based Vodafone live! service across its operations in 13 countries, including Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In connection with the “global” launch, Vodafone also announced the availability of 10 handsets, including seven models exclusive to the carrier and Europe’s first 2-megapixel camera phone, the Sharp 902.
Vodafone said the service includes an enhanced portal design and supports video calling, full track music downloads and three-dimensional gaming. In addition, customers will have access to a made-for-mobile drama series based on the television series 24; exclusive videos, pictures, animated greetings and wallpaper; access to movie trailers and clips; as well as sports scores and exclusive content from Manchester United and Ferrari mobile video.
The third-generation service, which uses unique spectrum and required additional infrastructure deployments, can reportedly reach around 60 percent of existing Vodafone customers where it’s available and supports both voice and data roaming among markets as well as with the carrier’s 2G network. Vodafone has been offering the live! service since 2002 on a limited basis via GPRS networks and had previously launched its Mobile Connect 3G data card for initial services across eight markets.
Vodafone also said it will launch new pricing for the service, including both prepaid and a pair of contract offerings. Browsing will be free or included in bundles with content purchases charged on an event basis rather than according to the amount of data transmitted.
Analysts noted the new pricing structure, which does away with the per-kilobyte charges of previous offerings, should be compelling to users and will likely be copied by Vodafone’s competitors.
Vodafone’s chief executive Arun Sarin said he expects the carrier to attract 10 million Vodafone live! customers by March 2006.<
