Vodafone Live! up to expectations

January 26, 2005 - source: BWCS

UK-based mobile group Vodafone has announced strong growth in subscriptions to its Vodafone Live! service during the last quarter of 2004. The global giant reported net additions of 3.9 million customers signing up to its keystone mobile data service. This brings the total Vodafone Live! subscriber base to 28.3 million (12.9 million of whom are in Japan).

According to the Newbury-based behemoth, its headline mobile data service accounted for 72% of all new customers in the three months to the end of December 2004. During the quarter Vodafone added a net total of 5.4 million new customers, bringing its global proportionate subscriber base to over 151.8 million.

Unofficial reports put the number of Vodafone customers with 3G enabled phones, though not necessarily using the 3G service, at 170,000 in the UK. Of more interest to the Newbury top brass, however, will be the ARPU figures which seem to have developed in line with expectations. During the months of October, November and December an average of 16.7% of service revenue per customer came from non-voice services. On the downside for shareholders, the company stressed that strong competition was holding back its ability to increase revenues per subscriber.

Vodafone said that it will release full details on the early state of play in the 3G markets in Europe when it releases its full year figures in May. All that CEO Arun Sarin would say on the subject was that the company had seen "positive early indications" following the 3G launch.