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Vodafone Spain says mobiles are to replace fixed line telephones and mobile Internet will continue developing

12 February 2007

During the first session of the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona

  • Vodafone Spain launches Vodafone Office for large businesses.
  • At 3GSM, Vodafone presents high-speed HSDPA tests to enable file upload speeds to increase fourfold (from mobile phones to the network) and a doubling of download speeds
  • Vodafone announces agreements with Google, YouTube, eBay and MySpace for the development of Mobile Internet
  • Telefónica Móviles and Vodafone Spain announce that their Instant Messaging services now work in an environment of full interoperability and ease of use
  • Vodafone Spain also announces a new Virtual Mobile Operator agreement with Galician operator R

Barcelona 12 February 2007. Vodafone Spain's Chief Executive, Francisco Román, today presented the company's main strategy for the coming months at the first session of the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona.

Francisco Román, Vodafone Spain's Chief Executive stated: "At Vodafone Spain, we continue to bet on the gradual substitution of fixed telecommunications by mobile. Voice traffic over mobile networks is already higher than over fixed lines and it is possible that this will carry on accelerating in the coming months". He continued: "The take-off of 3G Broadband, together with the new advances that we will be demonstrating at this year's World Congress, plus our agreements with leading Internet companies, will drive the definitive take-up of Mobile Internet in Spain".

Vodafone Office, with more than 800,000 business users, is now  to be extended to large companies
The growing substitution of fixed-line voice services by mobile telephony services is related to the ongoing innovation in new services and tariffs both for private and business customers. Over a year ago, Vodafone Spain launched its Vitamina Tariff for private customers and last year launched Vodafone Office for freelancers and small businesses, which now has 800,000 customers.

Today, the company announces the launch of this service for large companies, including new functionality such as call queuing and extension management.

Until now, Vodafone Office offered customers a flat rate for all calls made from business locations (Zona Oficina) to national landlines or for transferring the number associated with a landline to mobile. From now, a new tariff will be available: for EUR 20 a month, customers will be able to receive calls made to their landline on their mobile phone, as well as make calls to any national landline from anywhere in Spain, at no charge.

Higher-speed HSDPA, another step towards Mobile Internet
Vodafone Spain has now deployed new HSDPA technology throughout its 3G network. The company will present new developments in HSDPA at the current 3GSM World Congress. These will be implemented on the network before the end of 2007, enabling upload speeds to be increased fourfold (from handset to the network) and a doubling in download speeds.

Greater data upload speeds, from mobile telephone to the network, will enable users to participate in online communities and present content they have developed themselves. New extensions to HSDPA are, therefore, a step that brings Mobile Internet closer to Web 2.0. 

Agreements with Google, YouTube, eBay and MySpace
Further developments in 3G Broadband creates the right conditions for new Mobile Internet services to be offered to Vodafone customers. The recently-announced agreements with Google, YouTube, eBay and MySpace will enable Vodafone customers to access: MySpace Mobile (for finding and adding friends, posting photos or replying to mail), eBay (for bidding for and buying items via mobile phone) and YouTube (for sending links of favourite videos to friends or uploading own content from their mobile). Similarly, the agreement with Google will enable Google Maps to be included in Vodafone live! These services will be available in Spain before the end of 2007.

New agreement on Instant Messaging interoperability
Vodafone Spain and Telefónica Móviles today announce that their Instant Messaging services now work in an environment of full interoperability and ease of use.

Thus, through the Vodafone Messenger service, customers of Vodafone Spain will be able to add customers of Movistar to their list of friends and initiate Instant Messaging conversations with them.

Virtual Mobile Operator agreement with R
Within its framework of agreements with Virtual Mobile Operators, Vodafone Spain announces a new agreement with Galician operator R. Among the different types of Virtual Mobile Operator, R will be "full OMV" - that is, it will have a platform of services and interconnection as well as commutation centres.

For more information please contact:

External Communications
Vodafone Spain
José Romero
Adolfo Miranda
Mamen Rodrigo
Tel: +34 607 133 455
gabinetedeprensa@corp.vodafone.es