Vodafone UK launches new roaming tariff

Just pay 75 pence per call then use your UK tariff abroad

New pricing gives customers better value than ever before

Mobile phone has become more important hand luggage item than camera
 
Vodafone UK today launches a revolutionary new way to pay for calls abroad, with an easy-to-understand tariff, giving Vodafone customers exceptional value and greater price clarity.

From 15 July, Vodafone Passport customers pay a one-off connection fee of 75p for each call they make. After that, they will pay the same rates as they would at home - if they have inclusive or voice pack minutes, the call could cost nothing more. For example, someone on an Anytime 200 price plan, could call home from Rome and chat for 30 minutes paying just 75p using their bundled minutes.

New research found that mobile phones are becoming an essential hand luggage item*. Vodafone Passport gives the confidence to talk for longer, without having to worry about call costs.

• Research found that eight out of ten people like to keep in touch when abroad; whether it's to catch up on family news, check the pets are being looked after properly or to make reservations and book taxis.
• One in five people don’t take their phone abroad, because they think it is currently too expensive.
• 30 per cent of people are now more confident to travel further because they can keep in touch using their mobile.
• Phone home! Over a third of people phone home to speak to their parents.

Tim Yates, Chief Marketing Officer of Vodafone UK explained: 'Customers told us they were nervous about using their mobile abroad because they were worried about the costs. A quite typical scenario would be for someone to switch off their phone at the airport and only switch it on if they had an emergency."

'Vodafone UK’s new roaming tariff will really revolutionise the way people pay for calls abroad. Vodafone Passport does several things: it gives customers a clear idea of what their calls are going to cost and it also gives them much better value when calling from abroad. Now customers won’t have to seek out alternative options to keep in touch. They will be able to take their phone away and call friends, make reservations…make any call as if they were at home."

The new tariff is now available in the most popular European destinations including Spain, France, Italy and Portugal**. For example, making a five minute call from Spain back to a UK mobile or landline using home inclusive minutes will cost just 75p compared with £3.75 previously (Vodafone World rates).

Vodafone Passport is available on the latest monthly and pay as you talk consumer tariffs. It is also available on Businesstime tariffs. To activate, Vodafone customers should simply call 5555 from their mobile or visit their local store.

Vodafone Passport is part of Vodafone's Travel Promise to give customers simplicity and better value on roaming services. The initiative will be supported by an above and below the line marketing campaign.

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For further information please contact:

Julien Cozens or Katherine Danby
Vodafone UK Public Relations
Tel:      07000 500 100
Email:  press.office@vodafone.com

Notes to Editors:

Incoming calls will cost a set-up fee of 75p. If the call goes over 60 minutes, the remainder of the call will cost 20p per minute.

* The Vodafone UK survey via tickbox.net interviewed 1159 people during June 2005 and found that travel documents were the most important hand luggage item, followed by money, books, mobile phone, camera, spare clothing, boiled sweets and beachwear.

** Vodafone Passport is available on Vodafone networks in the following countries; Albania, Australia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. It is also available in France and Monaco on the SFR network, in Switzerland on Swisscom and in Belgium on Proximus.

VODAFONE UK

Vodafone UK has 15.2 million customers and is part of the world's largest mobile community offering a wide range of voice and data communications. On the 1st January 1985, the first mobile call was made by Ernie Wise on the Vodafone network. Since then, Vodafone was the first to introduce SMS in 1994 and to make a 3G voice call in July 2001. Vodafone UK was the world's first mobile operator to introduce international roaming, now connecting customers with standard roaming agreements in 182 countries, GRPS roaming in 53 countries and 250 cities worldwide using 3G.

Following the launch of Vodafone UK's 3G/GPRS Mobile Connect data card in April 2004, the company launched Vodafone live! With 3G in November 2004 offering services such as video-calling and music downloads. Vodafone’s 3G UK population coverage currently stands at 65 per cent and the network is being continually expanded.