Vodafone bulks customers, drops ARPU

Vodafone Australia has stacked on customers this quarter, but its average revenue per customer has taken a hit.

The global telecommunications giant added 70,000 local customers to its base, bringing Vodafone's Australian user group to around 4.1 million.

The increase in customer base as well as a higher number of high value customers and better penetration of mobile PC devices has driven growth in the region, according to Vodafone.

Mobile data is the darling of the company's growth prospects, with Vodafone "playing and winning in the mobile broadband market" according to Russell Hewitt, CEO Vodafone Australia.

However, the company's total average revenue per customer has fallen to its lowest for two years at AU$48.7, with contracted customers being around triple as lucrative as prepaid customers, at $88.4 ARPU versus $31.5.

Last quarter's total ARPU was $52.5, with contract ARPU being $90.7 and prepaid being $35.7.

3G has been finding its wings, with the company network sporting almost one million 3G devices at the end of the quarter. The company also touted its mobile broadband network upgrade, which it said would provide customers more choice come December.