Flying Start to Millennium for Vodafone Airtouch

Vodafone AirTouch PLC 4 April 2000 FLYING START TO NEW MILLENNIUM FOR VODAFONE AIRTOUCH Vodafone AirTouch Plc (Vodafone AirTouch) today announces world wide proportionate customer growth of more than 3.55 million during the first calendar quarter of 2000. This represents a 52 per cent increase when compared with the first calendar quarter of 1999 and brings the total proportionate customer base to over 39.1 million. If the additional customers resulting from the acquisition of Mannesmann, which is still subject to approval from the European Commission, were to be included, Vodafone AirTouch's total world wide customer growth for the first quarter of 2000 would have been 5.1 million with a total base of more than 53 million. In the UK Region Vodafone connected 851,000 net new customers, an increase of over 21 percent on the same quarter in 1999. Of these 839,000 were connected to the pre-paid Pay as You Talk (PAYT) service, bringing the total PAYT base to over 5 million. The UK base for all customers is now almost 8.8 million. In the Europe, Middle East and Africa Region, Vodafone AirTouch added more than 1.6 million net new customers, up over 54 per cent on the equivalent quarter of 1999, giving the region a total of more than 15.66 million customers. Once the Mannesmann transaction has completed, a further 13.9 million customers will be added in the Region. In the Americas and Asia Pacific Region at the end of March 2000, Vodafone AirTouch had a customer base of more than 14.68 million, having added over 1,096,000 new customers during the quarter. Over 774,000 new customers were added in the US, including 419,000 customers through the acquisition of CommNet Cellular, and an increase in ownership in PrimeCo Personal Communications. Commenting Chris Gent, Chief Executive said: 'This quarter has yet again shown strong improvement in customer numbers, and exceptional growth in data usage. With the recently announced closure of the joint venture with Bell Atlantic in the US and the anticipated completion of the Mannesmann transaction, the Group is well positioned to benefit from the continued acceleration in world wide wireless penetration and to capture the tremendous growth opportunity in data and internet services.' For further information contact: Terry Barwick, Director of Corporate Affairs Melissa Stimpson, Senior Investor Relations Manager at Vodafone AirTouch Plc Tel: +44 (0) 1635 33251 Lulu Bridges Tavistock Communications Tel: +44 (0) 20 7600 2288
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