Local Vodafone customer base hits 4m

MOBILE phone operator Vodafone Australia says it is well placed and prepared for its 2008 fiscal year after bolstering its customer base by 9.6 per cent. Vodafone’s customer base increased to more than four million in the 12 months ended March 31, up from 3.675 million in the previous corresponding period.The total included 3.690 million direct customers and 341,000 mobile virtual network customers (MVNO), who use the Vodafone network via outside operators.

“In a tightening telco market at so-called saturation point, we’ve added more than half a million customers in the last two years,” Vodafone Australia chief executive Russell Hewitt said.

Average revenue per user (ARPU) of $51.50 reflected a fall of less than one per cent in the year but was underpinned by sustained growth in service revenues.

The carrier added about 117,000 customers in the March quarter, and had more than 849,000 customers connected to its third generation, or 3G, network by the end of the fiscal year.

Overall service revenue grew 7.4 per in the 12 months ended March 31, despite sharp declines in termination rates, it said.

Mr Hewitt said he was pleased with the fundamental strengths of the business.

“Australians have an insatiable appetite for mobile services,” he said.

Complementing the healthy revenue streams of voice and SMS were mobile broadband and mobile internet services that achieved real relevance for customers, Mr Hewitt said.

” … our latest HSPA (high-speed packet access) upgrade is on track and on time for practical completion in December, and it will mark the latest step in our long-term plans to improve the capacity, coverage and capabilities of our network.”

Mr Hewitt said Vodafone achieved customer connection and service revenue increases of more than 20 per cent year-on-year across the Australian market.

“We’ll continue to fuel this important growth engine with a series of important proposition launches in the months ahead,” he said.

“Vodafone Australia has the full endorsement of our group shareholder and we are well placed and well prepared for the year ahead.”

Yesterday’s update follows news that Arun Sarin, chief executive of the parent Vodafone Group, will step down in July after five years at the helm.

Vittorio Colao, Vodafone’s deputy chief executive and head of its European operations, will succeed Mr Sarin.

Article Source http://www.australianit.news.com.au