Vodafone 3G launch date announced

The mobile giant will launch its Vodafone Live! multimedia service and its Mobile Connect broadband data card for laptops in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and major airports. The Mobile Connect hardware uses the Vodafone 3G network to deliver broadband speeds to laptop users, the carrier said.

The service will be available via six handset models at launch. This follows a trial of the network by more than 500 people over the last three months.

Vodafone said the network would be rolled out to Brisbane and the Gold Coast by March 2006, and Perth and Adelaide by July 2006.

The Vodafone services share the same network infrastructure as Optus' service, which is yet to be deployed. The two carriers partnered on a network-sharing deal earlier this year.