Mozilla To Launch VPN Product 'in The Next Few Weeks'

Mozilla has announced today that its highly anticipated VPN (virtual private network) service will launch later this summer, 'in the next few weeks.'

The product has also been renamed from its original name of Firefox Private Network to its new brand of the "Mozilla VPN."

The name change came after Mozilla expanded the VPN product from the initial Firefox extension to a full-device VPN, capable of routing traffic for the entire OS, including other browsers.

Currently, the Mozilla VPN offers clients for Windows 10, Chromebooks, Android, and iOS devices.

Mozilla said beta testers also requested a Mac client, which they plan to provide, along with a Linux app.

Once the Mozilla VPN exits its beta stage, the service will continue to be available to US users only for the time being.

Nonetheless, Mozilla said it plans to launch its VPN in other selected regions by the end of the year.

As for the monthly fee, the browser maker said it will "continue to offer the Mozilla VPN at the current pricing model for a limited time, which allows you to protect up to five devices on Windows, Android, and iOS at $4.99/month."

Users from 200+ on the waiting list

The Mozilla VPN launched last year, in September. The beta was only available for US residents, but Mozilla said that users from more than 200 countries signed up on its waiting list.

Under the hood, Mozilla said its VPN works by routing web traffic through a network of trusted proxies. The VPN browser extension uses Cloudflare servers, while the full-device VPN uses Mullvad servers and the open-source WireGuard VPN protocol -- added earlier this year to the Linux kernel.

Since launching the service into beta last year, Mozilla has faced a slew of questions about how the service will work. The browser maker has now set up detailed FAQ and support pages for both the browser extension and the full-device VPN product where users can get the answers they seek.