Vodafone Australia’s revenue dropped 16 percent in the last quarter of 2012 as more than 60,000 customers churned from the ailing telco.Accounts from Vodafone’s European-based parent revealed 64,000 customers left Vodafone Australia in the three months to December 31, leaving them with a customer base of 3.11 million.
The churn in Vodafone Australia’s customers contributed to a 16% drop in revenue over the 3 month period; a fall steeper than their 14.4% drop recorded in the three months to the end of September, during which Vodafone shed 77,000 customers.
In comparison rival Telstra added 607,000 new mobile customers in the six months to December 31 for a total mobile base of 14.4 million.
According to The Australian, the Vodafone Group announced Vodafone is undertaking cost saving initiatives, including restructuring, store reduction and network sharing.
“The business continues to focus on network improvements and arresting weakness in brand perception,” Vodafone Group said in its third quarter financial report.
Third quarter service revenue for the Vodafone Group fell 2.6% to 10.3 billion pounds.
Vodafone Hutchison Australia is the result of a fifty-fifty merger with former 3 Mobile owners Hutchison Telecommunications Australia (HTA) and the Vodafone Group. HTA is due to report its half-year financials later this month.
In related news, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy criticised Vodafone CEO Bill Morrow for urging review of the subsidies paid to Telstra to maintain their fixed line services in regional areas.
Read Senator Conroy Scalds Vodafone CEO
