Vodafone 3g Phone

Vodafone Australia is a subsidiary of Vodafone, a leading telecommunications company based in the UK. Headquartered in New South Wales, it is one of the top phone service providers in the country with a subscribership of over 3.5 million as of December 2007. Of these subscribers, a large percentage is connected to the Vodafone 3G phone network. Among its top products are GSM service, mobile Internet, and Vodafone 3G phone service in prepaid and postpaid plans.

Company history

Vodafone was granted a telecommunications license in 1992 and started actively marketing its digital telecommunications service in 1993. The first cities to be covered were the state capitals of Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. The following year, its coverage expanded to Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, and continued adding services to its repertoire. The Vodafone 3G phone network was rolled out in 2005, two years after the market leader Telstra. Today, in addition to the Vodafone 3G phone service, the company offers mobile internet, multimedia connections, and a variety of subscription plans. The Vodafone 3G phone network is now one of the fastest growing 3G systems in the country.

The Vodafone 3G phone network

Although not the first in Australia, the Vodafone 3G phone network is one of the country's most popular service providers. The Vodafone 3G phone service was launched in a joint project with Optus, another leading telecom provider. To make up for the head start enjoyed by Telstra and Hutchison, the company awarded the first Vodafone 3G phone subscribers a two-month free access to Vodafone live!, a content and media service designed to work with Vodafone 3G phone services. The Vodafone 3G phone service is designed to real-time mobile content and entertainment that is accessible anywhere in the world.

Initially, the Vodafone 3G phone service was only available in the Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne metros, as well as the airports in all state capitals. As the existing 3G network only covered the Gold Coast and mainland metros, the Vodafone 3G phone service was the first to bring the technology to major metropolitan areas. Today, the Vodafone 3G phone network has a coverage of almost 100% and is available in all 3G-enabled handsets. However, as of 2008, the Vodafone 3G phone service is available only to postpaid subscribers, but the company hopes to open the Vodafone 3G phone network to prepaid plans soon.

Features of the Vodafone 3G phone service

Most of the features of the Vodafone 3G phone service are available via Vodafone live!, a real-time content provider. The content is updated three to four times a day and includes entertainment, news, sports, business and stock information, and even TV programming. Some features, however, require specific phone models and a Vodafone 3G phone subscription. These include:

Vodafone Music Store: Allows you to buy digital music and ringtones directly into your Vodafone 3G phone. Also includes music news and updates, playlists and bestsellers lists.
Vodafone Mobile TV: Offers one-touch access to major TV channels, from sports and business to movies, music and lifestyle. You need a TV-enabled Vodafone 3G phone and a subscription to Vodafone Mobile TV.
Mobile Chat: Lets you connect with friends and family-or even meet new friends with the same interests-right from your Vodafone 3G phone. A daily cap is included with some prepaid plans, but you can buy credits on a daily or monthly basis.
Fun and Games: Buy full-version games, from basic arcade games to RPG and adventure themes. Prices vary by game, but the range is from $3 to $5. Adult-themed games are also available for phones that have Parental Lock disabled.