Vodafone rings up 100m users

VODAFONE, the world's largest mobile phones company, declared that it has passed the 100m customer milestone. Chief executive Sir Christopher Gent said: 'Vodafone has increased its customer base more than tenfold in the past three years. This year, overall customer growth has been stronger than anticipated and the Christmas quarter was in line with our expectations.'

The group will reveal full details of its third-quarter sales and revenues for the three months to December in a week's time. But today's number is in line with analysts' forecasts.

Vodafone's phenomenal growth, both organic and through acquisitions, has seen it achieve 1m customers in 1993, 5m in 1997 and 10m in 1999.