
Europe
: In a partnership with Cisco Systems and Linksys, Vodafone is today
exclusively launching the 3G Router in Portugal. This is a new broadband
mobile access system for mobile groups.
With the commercial launch
of the 3G Router, Vodafone has become the first Portuguese operator
to provide its Customers with broadband for mobile teams. It enables
groups of up to 5 people to use a shared Wi-Fi network at speeds of
up to 54Mbps, accessing the Vodafone 3G broadband networks while fully
mobile.
This solution is portable,
simple to use and has an excellent cost/benefit ratio. It is ideal
for consultancy, construction or media and events companies, who often
have teams on the move that need easy and fast access to the Internet
or to broadband networks.
The 3G/Wi-Fi Router combines
the wireless 3G Linksys WRT54G3G router with the Vodafone Mobile Connect
Card 3G/GPRS. As well as providing instantaneous access to data networks,
e-mail and the Internet, it allows other equipment such as printers
or fax machines to be hooked up the solution through an Ethernet connection
or a wireless 802.11g connection.
The 3G Router is also
an extremely secure solution, with access to the Internet and the
data network, protected through Wi-Fi Protected Access™ and
a powerful SPI firewall, even when accessing through a Wi-Fi connection.
At the start of the month
Vodafone had already increased its product range with the new Pack
XL package, which provides up to 10GB of communications per month
for just 29.90 euros, including no-limit communications from 1am to
7am.
Vodafone was the first
operator in Portugal to provide broadband mobile data services, through
the sale of the Vodafone Mobile Connect Card 3G in February 2004.
These new initiatives
are part of Vodafone’s strategy to make the benefits of mobile
data services accessible to an increasingly larger and more diverse
Client base. The launch of the 3G/Wi-Fi Router, together with the
broadband tariffs, is a big step taken by Vodafone in the development
of Third Generation mobile data services.