Nokia, Vodafone in Easy Web Access Deal

Nokia and Vodafone unveiled plans on Wednesday to give users easier and faster access to the Internet and a better choice of communications.

Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone maker, said it will provide some of its top-end models - with access to high speed, third-generation, or 3G, broadband networks - exclusively to Vodafone, the world's largest mobile phone company.

No financial details were disclosed.

''Vodafone and Nokia will make it easier to access the Internet quickly at the click of a button,'' Nokia said. ''Customers will get the full suite of communications, content, Internet services and browsing, through seamlessly integrated Vodafone services on Nokia handsets.''

The cooperation will enable customers to access Vodafone's music service and the Nokia music store, via the Finnish company's Ovi Web site.

Vodafone Group PLC, with more than 230 million customers worldwide, said the joint service was ''a logical step'' for Vodafone, aimed at improving existing services with leading Internet partners.

Nokia, based in Espoo, just outside the Finnish capital, has sales in 130 countries. It employs some 130,000 people worldwide.