The Vodafone Group has reported that, although voice revenues continue to decline, its revenues from data services have punched through the £1 billion barrier for the first time. Figures for the quarter ended 31st December 2009 showed data revenues up from £786 million in Q3 2008 to just over £1 billion this year.
In Europe, data now accounts for 11 per cent of all revenues, generating £792 million--a rise of 23.4 per cent on Q3 2008. The voice picture continues to look gloomy. Although voice brought in £4.4 billion of the total service revenues in Europe of £7.2 billion, voice revenues were down 4.5 per cent year on year. Across the whole of Vodafone, voice revenues showed a similar decline, falling 5.3 per cent year on year. Service revenues fell in Germany, the UK and Spain, although Vodafone said the trend was positive in each case, with the rate of revenue decrease slowing in Germany and the UK, and stable in Spain. Italy showed service revenue growth of 0.7 per cent.
Elsewhere around the world there was better news. Vodafone assets in Asia Pacific and the Middle East generated revenue increases of over 10 per cent and Verizon revenues were up 4.7 per cent. This, along with increases in data and fixed line revenues led to an overall increase in service revenues of 10.3 per cent, to £11.5 billion, and Vodafone CEO Vittorio Colao said that the operator is "on track to deliver our strategic priorities."
For more on this story:
Mobile Europe and Cellular News
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