Vodafone reshapes its Mobile Internet

 

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Posted on 7 Jun 2007 at 11:27

A new mobile data service that includes Web access has been unveiled by Vodafone. According to the company it should provide users with an experience of the Web on their phones that is far closer to the type of browsing experienced via a laptop of desktop computer.

The offering, dubbed Vodafone Mobile Internet, won't require people to upgrade their phones, states the communications giant. Instead, using undisclosed technology, Vodafone's network will take pages designed for the traditional web viewing format and shrink them by a factor of up to 10 so that they look the same in terms of information and design, but smaller, for visitors.

Customers will be able to make use of a prominently displayed Google search bar, in addition to accessing the usual internet expectations such the ability to book mark favourite sites.

'Vodafone Mobile Internet will revolutionise the way our customers use the internet,' said Nick Read, chief executive of Vodafone UK.

'They now have the freedom to explore a much wider world on an extensive range of handsets, experiencing the familiarity of the internet they previously enjoyed via a computer. The service is both easy to use and personalise, allowing millions of customers to make the most of their time. For example, eBay customers could miss out on bids because they are not at their computers at the vital moment. With Vodafone Mobile Internet they need never lose out as they can bid from their mobile phones while on the move.'

A new pricing structure will also help simplify things for those keen to make more use of the mobile web, according to Vodafone.
Contract customers who sign up to a data pack will get a data allowance of 120MB for a cost of £7.50. Those who don't sign up for the bundle will be charged £1 for every 500KB of usage per day and then won't be charged any more until they have used 15MB. Data pack customers will also be charged in this way once they have exceeded their allowance. If customers use less than 500KB, prices will be adjusted accordingly.

Prepay customers are subject to the same charges as contract customers who haven't signed up to a date pack.

Author: Maggie Holland