Following recent press speculation Vodafone Group Plc ("Vodafone") wishes to clarify its position with respect to Third Generation ("3G") networks and service delivery.
Vodafone confirms that all its 3G networks will be designed in accordance to 3GPP ("Third Generation Partnership Program") standards and will provide data services up to initially 384 kilo bits per second (kbps) and later 2 mega bits per second. These data rates will be able to allow for multimedia services including video and music. The minimum service level guaranteed at the outline fringe area of a network will be 64kbps.
Vodafone also confirms that the UK government's licence specification falls within the international 3GPP standards.
Vodafone will launch initial multimedia services on its existing GPRS networks, which will be prior to the planned 3G launch. Vodafone will use the most advanced techniques recently standardised for video and audio compression, such as MPEG4 ("Motion Picture Engineering Group") in order to improve the satisfactory delivery of multimedia services over wireless networks. All of these services will be offered and extended on 3G networks.
Vodafone is taking a lead role globally in partnering and developing a strong relationship with its suppliers to ensure the delivery of 3G services as planned and stated above. The launch of these services, as has been consistently stated, is still planned for the second half of 2002.
Important Information Concerning Certain Statements in this Press Release.
This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning the development and rollout by Vodafone of its GPRS and 3G networks, including standards regarding the scope of, and projected launch dates for, certain GPRS and 3G services to be provided to customers, the targeted rates of data delivery of such services, prospective partnerships and relationships with suppliers and some of our plans and objectives with respect to these items. By their nature, forward-looking statements are inherently predictive and involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future, many of which are beyond our control. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, changes in economic conditions in markets served by the operations of Vodafone and its subsidiaries (together, the 'Vodafone Group") and other changes that would adversely affect the level of demand for mobile telephone services, greater than anticipated costs associated with developing such networks and/or providing such services, delays, impediments or other problems associated with the roll-out and scope of GPRS and/or 3G technology, networks and services, the obsolescence of existing technology, the possibility that technologies will not perform according to expectations or that vendors' performances will not meet Vodafone's requirements, including the delivery and performance ofGPRS handsets and other key products from our suppliers, the ability of the Vodafone Group to develop competitive data content and services, the ability to enter into strategic partnerships with suppliers and the ability to realize benefits from entering into any such partnerships, changes in the regulatory framework in which the Vodafone Group operates, including regulatory actions in connection with pending or future acquisitions. A review of these and other reasons why actual results and developments may differ materially from the expectations disclosed or implied within forward-looking statements can be found in the description of our business and our managements' discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations contained on pages 11 to 59 of our U.S. Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended March 31, 2001. All subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Vodafone, any of its subsidiaries or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the factors referred to above. Vodafone undertakes no obligation to, and does not intend to, update these forward-looking statements.
For further information contact:
Vodafone Group Plc
Tim Brown, Group Corporate Affairs Director
Melissa Stimpson, Head of Group Investor Relations
Darren Jones, Senior Investor Relations Manager
Jon Earl, Investor Relations Manager
Telephone: +44 (0) 1635 673310
Tavistock Communications
Lulu Bridges/John West
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7600 2288