Vodafone’s Mobile WiFi router signals entry into the MiFi market
Vodafone has recently announced that they will be launching a new mobile broadband device that will allow users to share their own connection with a maximum of 5 Wi-Fi enabled gadgets.
The network operator, Vodafone, has also announced a ‘Vodafone Mobile Broadband Hotspot’ gadget, which is also known as the MiFi 2352, which enables users to connect to a number of gadgets wirelessly from any gadgets within a radius of 10 m in the broadband network of the company.
The device, which is just a size of a credit – card, has been produced by Novatel, will enable users to connect to a number of Wi-Fi enabled gadgets, which include laptops, digital cameras and gaming consoles.
It also has a one – touch power switch as well as an internal battery which provides a maximum of 4 hours of uninterrupted usage with a single charge.
The device is capable of providing download speeds of upto 7.2 Mbps and upload speeds of upto 5.2 Mbps and it depends on the coverage of the network within a particular area. In addition to that, it also provides a large amount of storage space, which is due to the memory card slot which enables you to use a 16 GB microSD card as well, thereby turning it into a flash drive as well.
Some of the readers of itproportal.com have told them that the 3G router isn’t exactly much of a big thing as any 3G phone which is WiFi enabled could potentially be made to function as a router. This does make a lot of sense and it would have been quite useful if users are able to change their phones into a fully – fledged router without a hitch.
Source - itproportal.com
Vodafone’s faster mobile broadband to be experienced by selected cities
Vodafone has rolled out faster mobile broadband connectivity to the cities in UK which have the highest number of users. This includes Liverpool, Birmingham and London, who will get a maximum speed of 14.4 Mbps, though their chances of getting near that speed largely depends on their location when they are surfing and the number of people who are on the broadband network at that particular time.
Indeed, Vodafone seemed to be very keen on making sure that there was no room for an ambiguity as such with regard to the impact the broadband makeover will have on their customers. They said, in a statement, that while 14.4 Mbps is the theoretical maximum speed, the customers could expect to see speeds of around 1 to 4 Mbps with a more practical figure of 10.8 Mbps as the maximum.
The chief technology office of Vodafone UK, Jeni Mundy, said that the customers trust them to provide a mobile network which is reliable wherever they are located and regardless of whether they are an individual or a business.
The network upgrade taking place means that customers can be assured again that they are constantly on the move with regard to increasing the quality of the network in response to the increasing demand.
This move will make sure that the network will be more reliable and that downloads will be faster. Other parts of UK should also benefit from this upgrade in technology so that their mobile broadband speeds will also see an increase, Vodafone says.
Over 80% of the equipment which is being utilized by Vodafone should be ready to take advantage of this upgrade, which means that only a few people will be unlucky and will have to upgrade their data cards, phones or dongles if they are to benefit from this.
Source - IT Pro
Vodafone Access Gateway
If you are getting frustrated with 3G reception problems at home when using your 3G mobile phone, cheer up. There are solutions available from your telecoms and networking companies that allow you to overcome weak 3G or cell site signals at home.
One of them is from Vodafone. Vodafone is making it easy for your household to boost 3G signals using the Vodaphone Access Gateway device. If you are on Vodaphone’s broadband subscription, just plug the router-like device to the Vodaphone line receptacle at home. These are very small devices that won’t get in the way nor become unsightly as you’d hardly notice their presence. The device gets plugged to your broadband line and four persons can access 3G with their mobile handsets concurrently. This service from Vodaphone can be enjoyed from as low as £5 a month with select pay monthly offers, please pop into a store for more information.
Get more than just a signal booster
Measuring a petite 190(h) x 150(w) x 37(h) mm and weighing just 414gm the equivalent of two mobile phones, the Vodafone Access Gateway is wedge shaped box looking like a fixed line router. It is basically a 3G signal booster that you plug to an existing broadband connection from Vodafone.
It doesn’t matter how bad the 3G signal is in your area as it works like a mini 3G mobile phone base station right in your home or office. Once connected to your broadband router, you can make all the calls and other 3G-related data services available on your mobile phone. In addition, the device can accommodate up to four 3G calls or data services simultaneously from different handsets. Any 3G certified mobile phone works with the device
The Vodafone Access Gateway is made by Sagem, a French telecoms equipment maker using a “femtocell” which makes a low-powered connection between your mobile handset with the nearest Vodafone network using home’s broadband connection instead of the normal wireless mobile cell station.
Vodaphone Mobile Broadband
Vodaphone is UK’s second most popular mobile networking and internet service provide after O2 and with operations across five continents and 33 partner networks used by about 190 million subscribers, it is also one of the leading global players in mobile telecommunications services. Its network coverage reach in the UK provides local subscribers access to its broadband 3G and HSDPA networks for speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps.
Broadband Plans
Vodaphone mobile offers three major broadband internet plans designed to suit various internet surfing needs from the simple daily email checks to downloading videos form the net. It starts with pay-as-you-go deal branded as TopUp and Go to the monthly post paid plans that include a netbook starting at ₤25 per month.
- TopUp and Go
You pay only ₤15 per 1GB of downloads without any 30-day expiry. The only catch is you need to pay one-time for the vodaphone broadband USB dongle at ₤34.99.
- Post Past Plans
Vodaphone mobile offers various plans that carry 12, 18 or 24 month contracts with 3GB or 5GB download limits with two cost options at ₤15 or ₤25 per month. All options include free broadband USB dongles in two models attached to the plan both with microSD slots.
- Post Paid with free Laptop
This plan offers a free Dell Inspiron Mini 10 that already has a built-in broadband modem and is available when you take out its 24-month contract for either ₤25 per month on a 1GB download limit or ₤30 per month for a 3 GB download limit.
Why Choose Vodaphone?
- You can opt to get the Vodaphone passport which enables you to take the UK rates with you to over 35 countries that includes New Zealand and Australia.
Vodaphone’s TopUp and Go is the only pay-as-you-go broadband plan in the UK that has no 30-day expiry.
Ian Shepherd
Consumer Director of Vodafone UK
Ian Shepherd, Vodaphone UK’s consumer director, is in the forefront of its consumer line promoting some of the newer products and service offerings of the company.
A Spokesman for Vodaphone’s Products
For starters he maximized the internet as a marketing tool to make Vodaphone’s presence felt more online. He has YouTube videos promoting new mobile phones on the Vodaphone network. He gets featured on many mobile phone sites. He has a Twitter site. Being one of the young corporate executives at the helm, Ian doesn’t underestimate the commercial value of social networking sites. His Twitter site is a veritable advertorial source for Vodaphone that not only contains just about the entire company’s commercial consumer portfolio, but also the many public events and corporate announcements that come regularly. Vodaphone’s Free Friday gets a lot of exposure on that site as well.
He is quite busy these days promoting the Vodaphone Access Gateway which is claimed to be the first homebound device that can increase mobile phones signals while in the house or in a building anywhere in the country. Using femtocell technology, the device increases the strength of 3G coverage indoors if the mobile user is having reception problems.
The Right Man for the Job
Vodaphone’s former director for strategy and new business development, Ian Shepherd, took on the new and more challenging role as consumer business director in January 2006. Ian Shepherd is credited with the successful brokering of Vodaphone’s Phones 4U deals with consumers and the operator’s redesign of its retail business operations. From then on, Ian Shepherd took charge of the company’s retail business overseeing its store outlets and distribution network dealing with consumers services and products.
Corporate Restructuring
A spokesperson from Vodaphone has indicated that corporate changes have been taking place to make the company more responsive to the changing business clime. The appointment of Ian Shepherd to the position was initiated by the company’s CEO Nick Read who is responsible for getting the company re-alignment into effect immediately as part of the corporate shake-up that started nine months earlier.
Free Friday Vodafone
Not to be Outdone with Free Friday Vodafone
Telecoms giant Orange may have its Orange Wednesdays – a promotional break when you can have free tickets to the cinema, now Vodafone isn’t going to lag behind now. It is offering a whole day of internet browsing and email access to its customers free of charge. Trademarked Free Friday, the usual 50p flat rate between 12:01am and 22:59pm Friday is waived entirely. That’s 24 hours of straight free internet usage.
How it works
There’s no need to do anything special to get a Free Friday internet. Just click on the Vodafone Live icon on the browser menu on your iPhone to get you on your free surfing for the day. You can text “web” to 2888 to have your internet experience on your handset personalized. Alternatively, you can send links of your favourite sites right to your mobile phone by visiting vodafone.co.uk/freebrowsing
More freebies
Vodafone had a similar free internet day offer last month which to many internet addicts out there only shaved off a measly 50p from the usual monthly bill. This time, Vodafone is offering something better. You can save so much more as it is allowing you to download 10 music files free of charge. iTunes geek who can’t get enough of their MP3 files can welcome this to cut on their expenses.
It looks like Vodafone is making its download service more appealing. If first abandoned its DRM features and then rolled out a realtime Twitter top 40 songs lists and is now giving away these music tracks for nothing. This Friday, get yourself ready to stay up late for an internet browsing marathon that won’t cost a penny, just a sleepless night. 10 songs may not be a lot, but you get to keep that free of charge and just await another Free Friday from Vodafone.
Professor Michael Walker
Director of Vodafone UK’s research and development
Vodafone has a very capable professor to head its research and development operations based in the UK. Professor Michael Walker is the Group R&D Director for the Vodaphone Group of Companies. In addition, the professor heads efforts focused on technology innovation and overseas the overall management of start-up companies commercializing these new technologies.
Allied to this, his membership in the Board of Vodafone Ventures -the company’s venture capital arm, gives the professor enough clout to evaluate the economic and business opportunities promised by the emerging markets for the various technical innovations he is overseeing in various positions.
The new R&D position is tailor-suited to the professor after proving himself more than prepared to spearhead various initiatives at technical innovation as well as his previous and concurrent experience in the technical fields of the academe.
Impressive Academe Credentials
Professor Walker holds the Vodaphone Chair as a part-time professor in Telecommunications at the Royal Holloway, University of London. He is also a visiting professor at the University of Surrey and the Vice Chairman of VCE, an association of industries and universities doing mobile communications research. He sits on the science advisory boards of the Universities of Surrey and Warwick as well as some new telecommunication companies.
The Professor was a member of the UK Technology Strategy Board and held the office of Board Chairman in the European Standards Institute. Shortly before joining Vodafone, Professor Michael Walker was Head of Mathematics at the Racal Research Company. And prior to that, he was an academic faculty member at the Tuebingen University in Germany. He is also a Fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering as well as a member of the Council of the Academy.
LTE Seen as Better Data Access Technology
Industry experts speaking at United Kingdoms’ Wireless 2.0 conference expressed their view that LTE or Long Term Evolution technology will not have problems competing with today’s fixed broadband connections in future markets.
Professor Michael Walker, director of Vodafone UK’s research and development group, said that the new data technology coined Long Term Evolution or LTE will be able to match or even surpass the connection speeds of current hard line regular fixed broadband connections.
The mobility and heightened experience of wireless internet combined with the high speeds of today’s fixed line broadband speeds will results in a richer and higher quality experience, said the professor. By matching land based fixed broadband lines with wireless connections former concerns of data speeds and reliability will be put to rest.
Long Term Evolution, WiMax, and FTTH or Fiber to the Home are now competing technologies vying for market share in the United Kingdom. This competition is key to learning the future of broadband technology in the country. Currently Vodafone’s stance is clear that LTE is their choice for future broadband connections.
Current HSPA networks employed by the United Kingdom’s mobile broadband operators use a lower spectrum that is less efficient in data transmission. Long Term Evolution will use the 20 MHz spectrum which can carry a download speed of 15 Megabits per second. Field trials of the technology has shown 20 Megabits per second transfer speeds at the center of a Long Term Evolution cell and 1.3 Megabits per second transfer rates at the edges.
Learning from its mistakes using 3G technology, Vodafone’s says that it will ensure the viability of Long Term Evolution before purchasing a radio spectrum. "3G was going to give 1Mbit/s but in some places you were lucky to get 300Kbit/s. It's not going to be like that with LTE." said the professor.
Ireland Shifts to Vodafone for Broadband Connections
A new contract between British Telecom and Vodafone led to the transfer of Irelands voice and broadband services to Vodafone. Small businesses and residential consumer broadband customers of British Telecom will now receive their connections from Vodafone. The deal which has been in play for several months know is deemed to beneficial for both companies and consumers.
Vodafone, the mobile phone company, has become the second largest provider of land based broadband in the recent months. It has gained a total over three thousand small businesses and eighty-four thousand residential customers as a result of the transfer from British Telecom. The seven year contract ensures that Vodafone will maintain its major position in the broadband market today. Other than land based broadband connections, Vodafone is also known for mobile broadband connections and other mobile phone based data applications.
British Telecom will now be focusing on wholesale broadband and its underlying infrastructure. Using a technique called Local Loop Unbundling, British Telecom intends to increase the number of corporate customers using previous resources devoted to consumer businesses. One of these new customers is the new consumer broadband provider, which is Vodafone.
The contract is valued around 4.8 million pounds in assets. This latest business transaction make perfect sense for the situation in Ireland where small business and consumer broadband only accounts for about ten percent of the overall customer base of British Telecom in the area. According to British Telecom (Ireland) CEO Chris Clarke ‘Our core focus has been the corporate market. And infrastructure-based competition hasn't happened in Ireland."
The executive also added that they are planning to unbundle fifty-eight more exchanges to add to the twenty two exchanges already unbundled by British Telecom. Using this unbundling technique almost two-thirds of Ireland will have broadband speeds of up to 24Mbps which is a great increase from the previous available broadband speeds in the area.
Vodafone Offers Free Access to Facebook
Vodafone recenty announced a new promotion giving free access to Facebook for subscribers who use their mobile broadband services. This and other premium promotions are part of Vodafone’s renewed effort to increase its mobile broadband subscriber base and extend their market influence.
Coined as the Free Friday series, these promotions were launched last and started with offers of unlimited mobile internet access for a flat rate of 50p per day. Vodafone also included premium access to digital rights management free music on free music Friday. This new campaign involving Facebook, along with their other programs are targeted at today’s youth.
Vodaphone’s new marketing campaign is aimed at creating a youthful mobile internet base to maximize their existing mobile communications network. New technologies acquired by Vodafone has enabled them to offer mobile broadband to most of their coverage areas and in the major population centers.
The free Facebook service is available to subscribers using their laptop or home pc with Vodafone’s mobile broadband service and through Vodafone’s mobile phones. The data counters used by Vodafone will stop moving when visiting the Facebook website and resume counting when moving out of them. The regular pay as you go rates or the standard 50p per day rates will apply when visiting non Facebook websites.
Other than this Facebook access time, Vodafone is also offering a Facebook alert service that will enable users to receive updates on their profile pages. This ranges from wall alerts, status updates, pokebacks and other alerts on facebook. The updates will be sent through SMS or text messaging. Users may also reply to these alerts to and standard text messaging rates apply.
