Vodafone UK Extends Trial 3G Service Offering Handsets to Selected Customers

Vodafone live!, the industry-leading, multi-media consumer service, is being enhanced by 3G technology in a series of phases. Specially targeted Vodafone live! customers in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow will be able to experience the benefits of Vodafone live! 3G, during this trial.

Vodafone live! 3G will bring customers improved quality, sound, pictures and videos, as well as increased speed when downloading games and ringtones. They will also be able to access a select range of new services such as video calling, video downloads (sport, news, music and general entertainment) and the streaming of live events to their handset, as well as existing services such as video messaging. The initial trial handsets will be the Samsung Z105, shortly followed by the Sony Ericsson Z1010.

Customer feedback will provide Vodafone with invaluable data for its full launch service. Vodafone live! 3G will be enhanced later this year, when there will be a wider selection of handsets available, together with an even more extensive range of content.

About 3G
Third generation mobile telecommunications technology support much higher data rates, measured in Mbps, intended for applications other than voice. 3G networks trials started in Japan in 2001. 3G networks are expected to be starting in Europe and part of Asia/Pacific by 2002, and in the US later. 3G will support bandwidth-hungry applications such as full-motion video, video-conferencing and full Internet access. 3G technologies typically are packet-switched and use CDMA to communicate. Examples include GPRS, 1xRTT, EDGE, HDR, W-CDMA.