Vodafone sign up 4 million new users

Mobile telephone giant Vodafone grew its customer base to 112.5 million people in the fourth quarter of 2002, as it signed up more than four million new users, the group said today.

The figures were helped by launch of its Vodafone live! picture messaging phones advertised by David Beckham – which sold 380,000 handsets since launch in October.

Reporting its performance indicators for the quarter ended 31 December, Vodafone said that the 12-month rolling average revenue per user (ARPU) – a key measure of performance among mobile operators – was up in all key European markets.

Chief executive Christopher Gent, who is stepping down later this year, said: “These key performance indicators demonstrate continued strong operational performance with better than expected organic customer growth.

“This is the third consecutive quarter that has seen an increase in group organic customer growth and in annual ARPU in some of our key markets.

“Our progress in data revenues is pleasing ahead of the additional benefits expected from our new data service environments.”

The world’s biggest mobile phone operator said the quarter had also seen a return to positive growth in the UK with net customer additions up by 267,000.

Additions in Germany of 922,000 and in Italy of 529,000 were the highest levels since March 2001 and December 2001 respectively.

Vodafone live!, the colour, sound and picture service, has hit 380,000 customers since it launched last October.

Speaking to reporters this morning, Gent said around two-thirds of Vodafone live! customers were currently new subscribers with the remainder existing phone users upgrading to the enhanced service.

The company expects upgrades to outstrip new Vodafone live! customers eventually.

Revenue from data-only services also increased, rising to 13.9% of service revenues for the year to December 2002 from 13.2% in the year to September 2002.