Vodafone opens up to the mobile internet

Operator becomes the latest to offer simpler pricing model for mobile internet access

Vodafone has opened up its Live portal with a new service which could offer content providers new ways of extending their web presence to customers, without the need for costly and time consuming development to ensure their sites fit on mobile devices.

Vodafone Mobile Internet uses bespoke technology to convert firms' fixed web sites to a mobile-friendly version, arranging content on the screen in logical order, for example by placing log-in boxes at the top.

"The evolution for us is going from a fairly contained environment to a completely open one," explained head of mobile internet and content services at Vodafone, Al Russell. "We want to be a world-class internet access portal... and become a good network for third parties and content providers to do business with."

Sites are separated into various categories such as personal finance, communities and shopping, and users can also access a Google search bar to find their favourite sites.

Vodafone is utilising its position as a network operator to offer firms location-based capabilities which they can adapt onto their sites. Online property portal Rightmove, for example, uses the technology to serve up results of houses in the local are depending on where the user is accessing the internet.

The new service also offers a simpler pricing model which includes a £7.50 'all-you-can-eat' charge per month and a pay-as-you-go fee roughly equaling 5p a page, capped at £1 a day.

"We're really removing the fear of data pricing in the industry," argued Russell. "This helps content providers too, because data charging is no longer a barrier to the [mobile internet]."