LONDON-Vodafone Group plc reported solid numbers for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2005 and the company said its guidance for the full year of 2005 and outlook for 2006 remain unchanged.
Vodafone posted 7.1 million organic net customer additions during the final three months of 2005 across its various partnerships and subsidiaries, representing annualized quarterly growth of 16.5 percent. The carrier said it now has a proportionate customer base of nearly 180 million customers. Vodafone said it expected organic growth for 2005 mobile revenue to be in the 6- to 9-percent range.
Vodafone, which owns a 45-percent stake in Verizon Wireless, also said it added 3.1 million 3G-enabled devices during the quarter and has now racked up a 3G base of 9.1 million subscribers among its subsidiaries, joint ventures and associates.
Vodafone’s chief executive officer, Arun Sarin, also told reporters that the company has no immediate plans to sell its stake in Verizon Wireless, despite pressure from some shareholders. Analysts have noted that Verizon Communications Inc., which controls the remaining 55 percent of Verizon Wireless, would likely be interested in gaining full control of its rapidly growing wireless subsidiary.
