The iPhone arrives on Vodafone network

Vodafone customers can now feed their appetite for data for the move as the iPhone has arrived on the mobile giant's network.

Now that the big three mobile networks are offering the iPhone, competition is set to hot up. Though, as yet, there hasn't been the recession-budget tariffs and contract deals that many were hoping for.

That said, unlike its rivals, Vodafone will offer unlimited texts for those signing up to most of its iPhone contracts

Vodafone is clearly trying to vie for the attention of business users as well as consumers with the launch of Apple's iconic device. Click here for our interview with Vodafone's Peter Kelly.

"We're especially pleased to offer iPhone to business customers from launch, both directly and through a network of 20 dealers across the country clearly demonstrating that Vodafone is the natural home for small business," Vodafone's chief executive Guy Laurence said in a statement, back in December.

One of the key aspects of Vodafone's success with the iPhone will be how its network copes. At the end of last year, rival O2 admitted that it couldn't cope with data demand in London during the first half of 2009, though Vodafone appears more confident it won't suffer such problems. Indeed, a report in the Telegraph compared its "deep pan" 3G network to the "thin and crispy" infrastructure of its competitors.

Vodafone is set for further mobile phone excitement very soon as it will be offering Google's Nexus One handset on its network imminently.