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Vodafone live! with 3G in Japan

10th November , 2004

ASIA : Vodafone K.K. today announces that it will launch its new Vodafone live! with 3G services based on world-standard WAP 2.0/MMS to coincide with the introduction of the first of its extensive range of 7 new 3G handsets from Sharp, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, NEC and Nokia (the Vodafone 902/802/702 series). Powered by the faster speed and increased capacity of 3G, the new Vodafone live! will deliver an enhanced content experience to customers.

Services and Content

Mail

On the new MMS mail platform, sending and receiving capacity has been expanded to a Japan industry best of 300 kilobytes per message for combined text and file attachments, enabling customers to send richer Movie Sha-mail video clips and megapixel quality Sha-mails with ease. In addition, ‘Mail Art’ has been added to let customers express themselves more visually than before by adding multiple slides and different graphics, text, sounds and colours.

Web

To take Vodafone live! web services to the next level, the per page download size on the new WAP 2.0 platform is a maximum 300 kilobytes and file download sizes have been increased. This expanded bandwidth makes it possible to provide customers with Chaku-Uta® master record ringtones that are over twice the length of previous versions, high-quality digital comics, 3D games with better graphics, sound and depth, and animated web pages using Macromedia® Flash™. Virtual live video downloads will also be offered, enabling customers to check weather and crowd conditions up-to-the-minute, or even wave levels before they go surfing. Full music track downloads and real time video and audio streaming services will also be offered over time.

Vodafone live! BB

Another addition is a new content distribution system which uses an innovative copyright protection method where encrypted content can be distributed freely and unlocked by downloading a “content key”. Vodafone K.K. will adopt this architecture for its ‘Vodafone live! BB’ service on the PC internet scheduled for mid-December, which will let customers download files that are too large to retrieve via their mobiles. After transferring digital content to their handsets, customers will be able to enjoy high-quality video and other content.

Video calling

All of the 7 3G handsets in the Vodafone 902/802/702 series support domestic video calls and, with the exception of the Vodafone 802N, all handsets support video call roaming so customers can see and hear one another from abroad during business trips and vacations, a first in Japan. Service will initially be available in the UK, Netherlands and Spain and expansion to other markets will take place over time.

Pricing

Messaging

A new pricing model has been adopted for MMS using a 5 step scale based on message size which can be directly related to a service such as sending a Sha-mail or video clip. The new model makes costs related to sending messages easy to understand and offers greater value when sending large-size mails. In addition, Vodafone 902/802/702 customers are able to receive full messages (including attached files) from Vodafone K.K. handset phone numbers free of charge.

Packet communications flat rate and discount

To allow customers confidently to enjoy the new rich content offerings on Vodafone live!, Vodafone K.K. will introduce a flat rate of 3,900 yen (4,095 yen with tax) per month for unlimited packet and mail communications called ‘Packet Free’. To offer greater choice, a new packet communications discount service called ‘Packet Economy’ with a fixed monthly charge of 2,000 yen (2,100 yen with tax) will also be offered, giving customers a 75% savings on regular packet charges.

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