Vodafone Malta Ltd will be launching High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) this month giving customers even faster wireless data transfer speeds than 3G. HSDPA is up to five times faster than 3G and 40 times faster than 2G.

“After the recent launch of 3G services, which to date is only available to Vodafone customers, I am pleased to announce the launch of HSDPA which is considered to be 3.5G. This is a ground-breaking achievement for Vodafone, and I’m sure this news will delight our customers who are already enjoying the benefits of 3G technology,” said chief executive officer Hatem Dowidar.

The first 3.5G mobile phone, the Motorola V1100, will be available from Vodafone retail outlets later this month, while the HSDPA Mobile Connect Card V740 is already available for sale from Vodafone. HSDPA will first be available in the Paceville area and Malta International Airport.

During the second quarter of 2007, in addition to mobile telephony, Vodafone will be addressing the home market. Along with mobile and fixed broadband, Vodafone will be offering other services for home users.