Vodafone readies for 3G wave

Vodafone's chief executive, Arun Sarin, insists third-generation (3G) mobile is the future.

Speaking at the 3GSM show in Cannes yesterday, Arun Sarin outlined three crucial areas that Vodafone will focus on in the future: telecoms, IT and 'infotainment'.

He also predicted that by the end of the year Vodafone would have a large number of 3G handsets available to supplement its existing 3G data card.

"We've been riding the GSM wave for 10 years; now its 3G's turn," said Sarin.

"3G will be a catalyst for new services and subscribers. In 10 years we've gone from zero to a billion mobile phone users; think about where we'll be in five to 10 years from now."

Telecoms will remain a key part of the business, with Sarin believing that driving up the number of minutes spent online by existing users will be key to driving the business on.

He joked with reporters: "I noticed some of you switched off your mobile phones when the press conference started. Please turn them back on and continue to call and text as normal; it's all billable minutes to us."

IT will also play a crucial role and Vodafone is very happy with its partnership with Nokia, he went on. The company has already done a deal with Oracle for wireless applications and more partnerships are to be announced in the coming weeks.

Sarin also outlined moves into the field of 'infotainment', the merging of entertainment and information into services for consumers. This is to become increasingly important as the capacity and speed of the network grows.

Consumers have also driven this area by exchanging information between themselves, as well as getting it from content suppliers.

See also:

3GSM World Congress

The big players in the global mobile telephony industry gathered in Cannes recently to plot the future of mobile communications.  25 Feb 2004

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