Mozilla has finally brought to market its Virtual Private Network Service, formerly branded as the Firefox Private Network. The change of name to Mozilla VPN is to attract a larger audience than just Firefox users. Will it succeed as a revenue stream for Mozilla?

Mozilla announced last month that its VPN, which had been in beta testing since the end of 2019, would be leaving beta and moving out of the Firefox brand to become a stand-alone product called Mozilla VPN.

It has now launched on Windows and Android in US, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia with more countries expected to extend this list during the autumn. 

For a subscription of $4.99 Mozilla VPN can connect up to five devices. It's key features are:

• Device-level encryption
• 280+ servers in 30+ countries
• No bandwidth restrictions
• No logging of your network activity

As explained in  Mozilla's promotional video, the Mozilla VPN runs on a global network of servers powered by Swedish VPN provider Mullvad, using the WireGuard® protocol, which is expected to deliver very high speeds compared to other VPN's thanks to its "slim" code base, which is open source.

What is expected to distinguish this VPN from its competitors is that, being branded by Mozilla, is its trustworthiness.

The post announcing the launch on the Mozilla blog also presented feedback from the beta testing, including the top reasons users cited for using a VPN:

• Security for all your devices – Users are flocking to VPNs for added protection online. With Mozilla VPN you can be sure your activity is encrypted across all applications and websites, whatever device you are on.

• Added protection for your private information – Over 50 percent of VPN users in the US and UK said that seeking protection when using public wi-fi was a top reason for choosing a VPN service.

• Browse more anonymously – Users care immensely about being anonymous when they choose to. A VPN is a key component as it encrypts all your traffic and protects your IP address and location

• Communicate more securely – Using a VPN can give an added layer of protection, ensuring every conversation you have is encrypted over the network.

As we've previously reported, the VPN is part of Mozilla's strategy to diversify its revenue. Given that Firefox has only a small share of the browser market, it has dropped the Firefox brand, even so to use Mozilla VPN you'll need a Firefox account, although you won't be restricted to Firefox as your browser.

The VPN market has experienced a surge of interest with the increase in remote working, and the VPN market is predicted to be $50 billion by 2024. However whether Mozilla can capture a significant share with a low-cost but small-scale product - connecting up to five devices limits the scope to home, or individual users, is not at all obvious.

More Information

Mozilla Puts Its Trusted Stamp on VPN

Mozilla VPN Website

Mozilla VPN App On Play

Related Articles

Three New Experiments for Firefox Test Pilot 

Mozilla Privacy Study Vindicates Tracking Protection

Mozilla Layoffs Raise Questions

Mozilla's Ad-Free Browsing Lure

Mozilla Remains Confident Despite Dip In Revenue

The Perils Of Mozilla

To be informed about new articles on I Programmer, sign up for our weekly newsletter, subscribe to the RSS feed and follow us on Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin.

Comments

Make a Comment or View Existing Comments Using Disqus

or email your comment to: comments@i-programmer.info