LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Mobile phone operator Vodafone Group Wednesday said it added 8.7 million users in the third-quarter, helped by growth in emerging markets.
Vodafone also reiterated its interest in gaining a controlling stake in India's fourth largest mobile operator Hutchison Essar.
Vodafone, the world's largest mobile phone group by revenues, said net new subscribers on a proportionate basis rose by 22.5% to 8.7 million in the three month ended Dec. 31, compared with 7.1 million the previous year. Total subscriber rose to 198.6 million, up more than 20% on the previous year, Vodafone said.
The proportionate numbers issued by Vodafone count subscribers in proportion to Vodafone's stake in a subsidiary; for instance Vodafone will count 44.4% of Verizon Wireless customers because it owns 44.4% of Verizon Wireless of the U.S.
The company noted that its total proportionate mobile customer numbers were dented by the disposal of key assets in Japan and Switzerland.
The Newbury, England-based company said total revenue for the quarter grew 5.1% and organic service revenue growth was up 4.8%.
Subscription to Vodafone's 3G services, such music, TV and video content, also increased in the third-quarter with 2.5 million buying 3G devices, bringing the total customer base to 13.6 million
Company Web site: http://www.vodafone.com
-By Daniel Thomas, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-20-7842-9264; dan.thomas@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires "
Posted to the site on 31st January 2007
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/21700.php