With 3G across an unrivalled 13 countries. Vodafone live! with 3G will be available in Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

• Extensive range of 10 new 3G handsets offering a wide choice for customers
  • Seven Vodafone exclusive handsets
  • Europe's first 2 mega pixel camera phone - Sharp 902
• Enhanced portal design for even easier access
• Exciting new services including video calling, full track music downloads and 3D games
• Broader range of new and improved content, including:
  • Extensive music catalogue from world's greatest artists
  • New made-for-mobile drama inspired by the blockbuster TV series "24"
  • Exclusive videos, pictures, animated greetings and wallpaper
  • Launch of "Movie of the Month" starting with "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason"
  • UEFA Champions League and Barclays Premiership video clips
  • Exclusive Manchester United and Ferrari mobile video content
  • Exciting new, exclusive games from world's leading games publishers
• New approach to pricing offering even greater value to Vodafone customers
  • Event based pricing model for content purchases

Following the success of the Vodafone Mobile Connect 3G data card and the introduction of initial 3G consumer services across eight European markets, the launch of Vodafone live! with 3G is the next significant step in Vodafone's 3G strategy.

Launched in October 2002, Vodafone live! was the first mobile service to integrate handsets, networks, content and services to produce an end to end, easy to use customer proposition. Vodafone live! with 3G is the next generation of Vodafone's multi-media consumer offering. The customer experience is transformed by faster download speeds and improved quality of sound and images, encouraging increasing adoption and usage of Vodafone's services.

Vodafone has also created a new, easy to understand pricing model. This model is designed to ensure customers receive simpler bills and to encourage usage through increased cost transparency. Content purchases will be charged on an event basis and browsing will be free or included in a highly attractive bundle of services. Customers will also be offered promotional bundles to promote the uptake of new Vodafone services. 3G voice propositions will offer more value for money to customers, with each Vodafone operating company offering market specific pricing plans.

Arun Sarin, Chief Executive, Vodafone, said:
Today is an important day for Vodafone and the start of a new era in mobile communications.

Vodafone live! with 3G will dramatically change the way our customers experience their Vodafone services and we are confident that Vodafone live! with 3G will be a success. Customers want communication, organisation, entertainment and information on the move and they will increasingly turn to one device to deliver these needs – their mobile phone.

Vodafone live! with 3G will become increasingly mass market next year and we expect over 10 million customers to be using Vodafone live! with 3G by March 2006 in our subsidiaries.

Vodafone live! with 3G provides Vodafone with a new platform for profitable growth. We are leaders in the evolution of mobile communications and we will continue to be at the forefront of innovation to the benefit of our customers and shareholders."