3G Phone Launch for Vodafone Spain

1st June, 2004

Europe : Vodafone Spain today announces the commercial introduction of its first 3G consumer services for customers with Vodafone live! TM 3G . Today’s announcement marks an important step in the rollout of Vodafone’s 3G services in Spain and follows the successful launch in Europe, as well as in Spain, of the Vodafone’s Mobile Connect 3G/GPRS Data Card for business customers.

Following successful pre-commercial customer trials of Vodafone live!TM 3G in Spain, conducted with over 600 customers, Vodafone Spain has decided to commercially introduce the service for its “early adopter” customers. This initial launch will enable those customers keen to experience 3G consumer services, the opportunity to try out the technology prior to the full launch – with an additional range of Vodafone live! 3G handsets and enhanced services - planned for the coming autumn.

From today, customers wishing to become the first to try the service will be able to try out and purchase the Samsung Z105 - the first Vodafone live!TM 3G handset available, and shortly the Sony Ericsson Z1010, from Vodafone stores within the 22 principal Spanish cities with 3G coverage.

Vodafone is inviting “early adopter” customers to try the new Vodafone live!TM 3G services and is also offering them the opportunity to purchase 3G handsets via the Vodafone loyalty points programme. Customers choosing to pioneer Vodafone live!TM 3G will also be able to try some of the services free during the first two months. (*)1

Vodafone live!TM, the industry-leading, multi-media consumer service, will be enhanced by 3G technology, delivering to customers new communications possibilities that until now have been unavailable for mobile users. These new applications include: video calling, video streaming, and video downloads, as well as the availability of existing services such as video messaging. Using the new 3G services customers will be able to access the best content in sports, news, music, general entertainment and games, etc. thanks to agreements that Vodafone has with content providers such as the UEFA Champions League and Ferrari, amongst others. In addition, customers will experience better sound, image and video quality, as well as faster speeds for the downloading of games and ring-tones.

“The commercial availability today of Vodafone live!TM 3G will extend to our consumer customers the benefits of 3G mobile technology that are already being enjoyed by our business customers with the Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G / GPRS data card. The greater bandwidth offered by 3G will enable our customers to have access to new multimedia content and applications such as video calling,” commented Francisco Román, Chief Executive Officer of Vodafone Spain. “Like all emerging technologies, 3G will be progressively rolled out to incorporate enhanced services and further extend coverage over the coming months with the aim of offering customers a more complete service at the end of this year,” he concluded.

Furthermore, from today, Vodafone Spain customers will also be able to enjoy Vodafone live!TM 3G services whilst they are roaming abroad in seven European countries: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Sweden, UK, as well as Japan. These roaming services will also become more extensively available in other countries over the coming months. For the moment, video calling services whilst roaming are available to Vodafone Spain customers travelling to Germany, Italy and Portugal.

Over the next year, Vodafone live! TM with 3G will open up a whole new world of communication and entertainment via the mobile phone, with a greater range of handsets, additional content and further coverage. Over the next five years, Vodafone’s planned network investment will total 2.8 billion Euros, of which an increasing proportion will be destined towards 3G.

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