By Ian Simpson
NEW YORK, May 19 (Reuters) - British mobile telephone company Vodafone Group Plc (VOD.L)(VOD.N) is seeing continued strong customer growth as it nears a multibillion-dollar merger with AirTouch Communications Inc. (ATI.N), Vodafone's chief executive said Wednesday.
"Last year, Vodafone's (customer) base grew by 76 percent and that rate of growth is carrying on this year," CEO Christopher Gent said.
He added that overall use of wireless telephones was increasing rapidly in all markets.
"We see over half the population being on wireless by the end of 2002" in "all our major markets," such as Britain, the United States, Germany and France, he said.
Gent added that Vodafone was getting market penetration of 1 percent a month in Britain and about half that rate in the United States.
"In both cases it's significantly up on last year," he said.
Vodafone, based in Newbury, is the United Kingdom's No. 1 mobile telecommunications company.
Regards, Dave
|
