Vodafone-Hutchison shows strong growth
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: A record growth has been managed by Vodafone Hutchison in the second half of last year despite the Hutchison Telecommunications-Vodafone merger still being a work in progress. 584,000 new customers in the December half were gained by the company out of which 30 per cent were mobile broadband subscriptions.
According to Vodafone Hutchison Australia chief executive Nigel Dews, 40 per cent of new subscribers were getting smartphones, which was driving a boom in data use and 1.39 million VHA customers are now using broadband on their mobile phones, modems and data cards linked to other devices.
The merged customer base was just short of 6.9 million subscribers at the end of last year.
Vodafone fined for spamming in Australia
VODAFONE Hutchison Australia and Coke have become been caught by an anti-spam law, prompting the Australian government to re-iterate that it will strongly impose the six-year-old law.
Vodafone agreed to pay $110,000 after it sent 100,000 text messages to Vodafone customers last October as part of a marketing campaign for Coca-Cola. Where the law is breached, the regulator has several options, including a formal warning, an enforceable undertaking, fines of up to $110,000 a day, and Federal Court action in the most extreme cases.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority investigated whether the messages breached the 2003 Spam Act because they did not give recipients a means to unsubscribe or contact the sender.
The messages was: ”Take a hint from your PC and reboot. You’ll work faster. Reclaim your lunch hour with a friend. Escape with a Coca-Cola lunch break.”
The payment was part of an enforceable undertaking by Vodafone Hutchison, which owns Vodafone, and the marketing companies New Dialogue and Big Mobile.
Vodafone Hutchison agreed to pay but it stated that it would continue marketing campaigns via mobile phones.
Interestingly, last month the Federal Court fined companies and individuals $15.75 million for spam text messages targeted at users of a dating website.
Vodafone Australia & 3 merge businesses
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: Vodafone Australia Ltd. and Hong Kong-based Hutchison Telecommunications Ltd have merged their businesses. Australia has been very interesting lately, we have merged with a competitive company last Friday and formed a new company and that will forward under the name of Vodafone Hutchison Australia (VHA),†Former Vodafone Australia Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and current Vodafone Hutchison Australia board member Russell Hewitt, said. It is 50-50 % joint venture. VHA will market its products and services under the existing Vodafone brand, and retain the
exclusive rights to the 3 brand, which is owned by Hutchison. It is anticipated that Earnings per share for both Vodafone and Hutchison Australia would be enhanced by the deal. Australian dollars in revenue and will head about 6 million customers,†Hewitt said.
So that makes it quite a large company in Australia and makes it a very strong competitor trying to move into the number two position in the market place,†he added. After the merger VHA is now headed by Hutchison Australia Chief Executive Officer Nigel Dews, with Vodafone CEO Nick Read as Chairman.
Current Vodafone CFO Dave Boorman is VHA’s CFO, while Hewitt will be a non-Executive Director of VHA.
As a result of that merger I’ve moved on to the board of VHA and I get to keep my shareholders responsibility here in Fiji which I’m delighted about because we really enjoy coming to Fiji,†he added.
