Vodafone Group Plc ("Vodafone") today announces furthergrowth in its worldwide proportionate registered customer base during the quarter ended June 2001. Overall, more than 3 million proportionate registered customers were gained during the quarter together with 7.1 million proportionate registered customers which have been added through stake increases in existing ventures and through new acquisitions. Vodafone's worldwide total proportionate base is now over 93.1 million registered customers. The venture base is now over 202.6 million registered customers.

In the Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa Region, over 0.7 million proportionate customers were added during the period together with 1.6 million added through the acquisition of Eircell in Ireland.  The total proportionate customer base is now 24.2 million. The UK recorded a total of 0.3 million new customers bringing the total UK base to over 12.5 million customers.  Contract net additions in the UK amounted to over 44% of the total compared to over 26% in the last quarter, following the reduction in prepay bonuses paid to service providers and distributors.  The total contract base in the UK is now 4.4 million customers.  Proportionate net additions in Middle East and Africa totalled 0.2 million.

The Central Europe region recorded proportionate net additions of over 0.8 million in the quarter bringing the total base to over 23.2 million proportionate customers.  This figure includes 0.7 million proportionate net additions in the quarter from D2 Vodafone resulting in a total proportionate customer base of over 21.6 million. D2 Vodafone's contract net additions in the quarter represented over 28% of the total compared to over 17% in the last quarter, reflecting further reductions in prepay equipment subsidies.

Proportionate net additions of 0.7 million were added in the Southern Europe region in the period, resulting in a proportionate customer base of 22.1 million. Omnitel Vodafone recorded a total of over 0.4 million new customers bringing the total proportionate base to 12.4 million customers.  In Spain, 1.3 million proportionate customers were added through the acquisition of British Telecommunications plc's 17.8% interest in Airtel. 

The total proportionate customer base in the Americas and Asia Region increased to over 20.6 million, having added over 0.6 million proportionate new customers together with over 4 million through acquisitions and stake increases.  Progress continues to be made in Verizon Wireless, with over 0.3 million proportionate new customers and over 0.4 million through stake increases bringing the total proportionate base to over 12.3 million customers.  In Japan, the proportionate customer base increased by 3.3 million, largely due to stake increases which occurred in the period.  Following completion of our acquisition of a 34.5% stake in Iusacell in Mexico, over 0.6 million proportionate customers were added to the base.

Growth in the Pacific Region continued during the quarter with over 0.1 million proportionate new customers added plus a further 0.1 million added as a result of the recent stake increase in Australia from 91.0% to 95.5%.  At 30 June 2001, the region had 3.1 million proportionate customers.

Sir Christopher Gent, Chief Executive of Vodafone said; "The increase of over 10 million proportionate customers in our base in the quarter is in line with our expectations. Another positive trend in these numbers is the improved mix of our customer base reflected by the increasing proportion of new contract customers.  This is one of the objectives we had in the change of our commercial policies which are geared towards increasing ARPU and profitability rather than customermarket share."

Notes to Editors

(1) The new regions comprise the following countries:

Northern Europe, Middle East and Africa
UK, Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Sweden, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa
Central Europe
Germany, Hungary, Poland and Switzerland
Southern Europe
Italy, Albania, Greece, Malta, Portugal, Romania and Spain
Americas and Asia
United States, China, India, Japan, Korea and Mexico
Pacific
Australia, Fiji and New Zealand

(2) Following the acquisition of a further 0.63% in Mannesmann AG, the proportionate interests in D2 Vodafone, Omnitel Vodafone and SFR have increased to 99.65%, 76.48% and 31.94% respectively.

(3) The Group's proportionate interest in Panafon Vodafone has reduced to 52.78% following the acquisition of Unifon S.A.

(4) The proportionate customerbase has been adjusted for Verizon Wireless's proportionate ownership of its customer base of approximately 98.1%.

(5) As a result of stake increases completed since 31 March 2001, the Group's proportionate interests inJ-Phone East, J-Phone West and J-Phone Central have increased to 60.25%, 56.88% and 55.17% respectively.  On completion of the final tranche of the acquisition of British Telecommunications plc's interests in the J-Phone operating companies, the Group's proportionate interests in these companies will increase to 63.00%, 59.63% and 57.92% respectively.

For further information contact:

Vodafone Group Plc
Tim Brown, Group Corporate Affairs Director
Melissa Stimpson, Head of Group Investor Relations
Darren Jones, Senior Investor Relations Manager
Jon Earl, Investor Relations Manager
At Vodafone Group Plc
+44 (0) 1635 673310

Lulu Bridges
Sarah Landgrebe
John West
Tavistock Communications
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7600 2288