Vodafone: the world’s biggest just got bigger

• Four million ‘organic’ net additions takes base to 112.5 million
• Twelve month rolling ARPU up in key European markets
• Data revenues climb from 12.7% of total to 16% in twelve months

Vodafone [VOD.L], the world’s largest mobile company by market capitalisation, has announced that it signed up over four million new subscribers in the final quarter of 2002 to take its global total to 112.5 million. According to CEO Chris Gent this is the third consecutive quarter that his company has reported an increase in group organic customer growth and in annual revenue per user (ARPU) across its ‘key’ European markets. ARPU for the group’s operations in the UK climbed GBP5 in the three months to 31 December 2002 to GBP287, while the same measurement in Germany and Italy rose to EUR312 and EUR347 respectively. Data as a percentage of the group’s service revenues increased from 12.7% in December 2001 to 16% a year later. The average for the year stood at 13.9%. Earlier this month Vodafone announced that it had signed up 380,000 users to its Live! multimedia and picture messaging service in the first two months since its launch.

Source: CIT Global Telecoms 200