New Zealand : Broadband in your back pocket will become a reality for New Zealanders on 1 October with the launch of Vodafone 3G broadband. Above shows a Vodafone 3G broadband router.

With Vodafone 3G broadband customers will no longer be tied to a specific location to get online at super-fast speeds, says Vodafone CEO Russell Stanners.

"Vodafone 3G broadband connects people - not places. The mobile solutions we are announcing today give our customers the freedom to move around the house, the city and world - all while remaining connected."

Stanners says Vodafone 3G broadband will inject mobility into the world of broadband, providing seamless connectivity at all times, at speeds faster than conventional broadband services.

"A key limitation of conventional broadband is that it is only available at home or in your office. This is incredibly frustrating if you are away from home and desperate to send that email or make that Trade Me bid. Vodafone 3G broadband allows you to take broadband with you and be connected wherever you are."

Stanners says Vodafone 3G broadband heralds the start of another mobile revolution for New Zealand.

"Mobile connectivity will quickly become the preferred way of getting online to access the Internet and critical business applications," says Stanners.

"Vodafone has transformed the way New Zealanders communicate since we arrived in the market in 1998, with the introduction of firsts like TXT, PXT, mobile TV and video calling. The majority of New Zealanders are now always contactable thanks to mobile products and services. Now in the broadband market we are creating an equivalent revolution for customers who want to be connected 24/7. "

Stanners says Vodafone is able to offer super-fast 3G broadband speeds through an upgrade to its 3G network, launched in August last year. New Zealand is one of the first countries in the world to introduce the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) upgrade.

"This upgrade introduces a host of new features, but the most important is the stunning connectivity speeds," says Stanners.

"From 1 October our 3G network will deliver a theoretical maximum speed of 3.6Mbps. We expect customers to be blown away by the average performance of 800Kbps-1.4Mbps. This is 58 times faster than dial up and considerably faster than most entry level conventional broad band services, and you can connect at these speeds at or away from home."

Vodafone will deliver speeds up to 3.6Mbps in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. HSDPA will also be available in other areas with 3G coverage but will initially operate at speeds below 1Mbps. Speeds in these centres and others will increase over the next 18 months as part of a deployment programme now being developed.

Vodafone's pricing plans offer mobile connectivity at a very affordable price to both dial up users and broadband users looking to gain the benefits of mobility.

Prices start at $29.95 for 200MB or 1GB for $49.95. For an additional $10 per month, customers will receive 'bundle insurance' - a data cap extension for those months they hit or by-pass their limit.

Stanners says the great news for customers is that Vodafone 3G broadband will be available from 1 October and does not rely on unbundling the local loop, which will not come to fruition until mid 2007.

"New Zealand has a really low uptake of broadband. We are proud to be able to offer a competitive broadband service that will help propel New Zealand towards the government's goal of being in the top quarter of the OECD rankings by 2010," Stanners says.

"Today also marks a significant milestone for Vodafone as we pursue our goal of becoming New Zealand's leading telecommunications provider. While Vodafone is the leading mobile operator in New Zealand we only have a 20% share of the total telecommunications market and the scope for growth is enormous. Watch out for some exciting plays in the market in the next few months - Vodafone 3G broadband is just the beginning."

Vodafone 3G broadband - the customer benefitsFor business customers, Vodafone 3G broadband provides the flexibility of doing business anywhere, and the power of access to information or applications when you need it. 3G broadband is all you need - a single mobile connection that provides secure, fast access to information and bandwidth-hungry applications when you're in the office, at home or on the move.

With Vodafone's extensive international data network it is easy to stay seamlessly connected even when you are travelling. At launch, customers will be able to data roam to more than 30 countries, 10 of which will offer 3G broadband speeds.

For consumers, Vodafone 3G broadband does everything conventional broadband does except you can put it in you pocket and take it with you. Surfing the web in the lounge, relaxing in a café, hanging out at a friend's place, you'll always be connected. Book your travel while sitting in a café with friends, make that Trade Me bid while sitting in a boring lecture, compare properties while at an auction. With Vodafone 3G broadband information and entertainment is always within reach.

New ways of getting online, without the lineGetting online is no longer a matter of plugging a cable into the side of your PC. Vodafone can offer a whole new range of exclusive solutions to provide you with connectivity while you are on the go:

The Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Modem (Vodem)
Today we are introducing a whole new category of broadband modems - a modem that you can take with you wherever you go. The Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Modem (Vodem) is a highly portable personal modem with a sexy design, which makes connecting a breeze. Vodem simply plugs into a USB 2.0 port on any laptop or desktop computer, self-installs its own connectivity software and automatically connects. Simple and genius. Vodem is compatible with both PCs and Mac computer products and has a non contract retail price of $429.

Vodafone 3G broadband datacard
In October, Vodafone will launch the Vodafone 3G broadband Express Card, which is a smaller and faster version of the well-known 3G Vodafone Mobile Connect datacard. It will offer download speeds of up to 3.6Mps. Its RRP will be $529.

Vodafone 3G broadband mobiles
Mobiles phones as modems - available only on Vodafone. Exclusive to Vodafone are two HSDPA-enabled mobiles - the Samsung ZV50 and the Samsung Z560V. Both mobile phones can be used as a modem, connecting to your laptop and desktop via a USB 2.0 port while simultaneously providing voice calling. The RRP of the Samsung ZV50 is $999 and the Samsung Z560V is $1,099.

Vodafone 3G broadband Router
The Vodafone 3G broadband Router allows a Vodafone 3G broadband connection to be shared between up to five people, by plugging a data card into the router. This is the perfect solution for temporary site offices in industries as diverse as construction and accounting. The RRP for the Router is $399 (plus $529 for the datacard).

Laptops with built-in 3G broadband
Exclusive to Vodafone, laptops with built-in Vodafone 3G broadband connectivity provide laptop users with integrated connectivity and support. The Vodafone 3G broadband chip-set is built into laptops available exclusively from vendors including Acer, Lenovo, HP and Panasonic. This convenient option provides a robust and reliable solution, reduced set up time, single click to connect out-of-the-box and an easy to set up and use software and service experience.

This Weeks 3G News By Photos
This Weeks 3G News