LONDON-Vodafone Group announced it added more than 4.4 million customers during the quarter ended March 2001, showing growth in its worldwide registered proportionate customer base.
This quarter’s additions bring Vodafone’s total customers gained for the year to 30.1 million, of which 5 million have been added through stake increases. The company’s worldwide total proportionate base now stands at 83.4 million registered customers. The majority of Vodafone customers are in Europe, with others in the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific.
Looking forward, the company’s chief executive, Chris Gent, said, “In the year ahead, given the levels of penetration, we expect a slowdown in customer growth, as the Group’s focus moves to margin improvement, customer retention and cash-flow growth, rather than customer growth and overall market share.”
