Vodafone’s Portuguese subsidiary is looking to shake up the mobile broadband market for prepay users, offering a plan which sees usage billed by time rather than data consumed.

The Vita Net Light prepaid plan provides mobile broadband access for ten hours over a six month period for a top-up of €10. Data usage over that ten hour period is unlimited.

Vodafone said the plan is targeted at users who only need occasional mobile broadband access hence the six month usage period, and is designed to eliminate any worries the user may have about the volume of data transmitted.

A USB modem is available with ten days internet access for €49. But the downside of this offer is that users can only expect top speeds of 1Mbps, whereas Vodafone Portugal’s postpay users have access to speeds up to 7.2Mbps, the firm said.