Press Releases

Lisbon, 10 March 2006 - Vodafone today begins the roll-out in Portugal of the new 3G Broadband technology HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access).

3G Broadband is being deployed at 1.8Mbit/s which offers peak transfer rates for customers of around 1.4Mbit/s in downlink mode, approximately 4 times the speed currently available on 3G. This will offer mobile users the very first opportunity to experience the current standard DSL rate.

At this stage, 3G Broadband technology access is available to a selected group of individual and business customers in Lisbon, Cascais, Funchal, Ponta Delgada and the principal urban areas of the Algarve.

During the year, 3G Broadband will be progressively extended to other cities (Porto, Braga, Coimbra, Aveiro and Leiria this June) and regions of mainland Portugal and the islands, reaching the main urban areas by the end of the year. When a customer moves into areas still without 3G Broadband coverage, the Vodafone 3G Broadband Mobile Connect Card automatically switches to 3G or GPRS, which are available throughout Portugal.

For use of the 3G Broadband network, Vodafone will launch the Vodafone 3G Broadband Mobile Connect Card that can be used when this technology is made commercially available.

This data card will be available at the usual outlets at a basic price of 249.90 euros or 199.90 euros for customers who sign up to a 12-month contract.

With the commercial launch of this technology, Vodafone will also introduce new price plans for Broadband usage: 1GB 3G Broadband and 4GB 3G Broadband (price plans attached).

Marking the occasion, António Carrapatoso, Chairman of Vodafone Portugal, said that once again, Vodafone is demonstrating its leadership in non-voice services by deploying 3G Broadband at speeds of up to 1.8Mbps. 3G Broadband represents an important step in the history of mobile communications in Portugal, maintaining the country's position in the European vanguard of the development of mobile Broadband data services.”

Vodafone has always been at the forefront of the introduction of new technologies and the development of mobile data services. It pioneered the implementation of the 2.5G (GPRS), 3G (UMTS) and 3.5G (HSDPA) networks in Portugal and was the first operator to offer 3G services in Portugal with the launch of the Vodafone 3G Mobile Connect Card.

3G Broadband Price Plans

* Valid for subscriptions up to 30 June 2006 and applicable until 30 June 2007.
Prices include VAT. Calls outside the pack are billed at 0.05 €/MB.