𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Vodafone has enjoyed higher sales in the UK as a result of its long-awaited tie-up with Three, which completed last month after being cleared by the UK’s competition watchdog.

The company said it had made a “fast start” in combining its mobile networks following the creation of VodafoneThree.

Sales surged by 14.5% in the UK to 1.9 billion euros (£1.65 billion) between April and June, compared with the same period last year, due to it gaining Three’s customer base.

Revenues from its mobile service soared by a fifth, despite lower price hikes compared with the prior year, dragging on overall income.

However, Vodafone revealed that its mobile contract customer base dropped by 46,000 in the quarter, due to Three UK consumer losses and large business contracts disconnecting.

VodafoneThree, which is now the biggest mobile phone network in the UK with around 29 million customers, pledged to invest £11 billion over the next 10 years, including on boosting 5G networks.

This helped the deal get over the line, having come under heavy scrutiny by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) amid concerns it could reduce options for mobile customers and lead to higher bills.

The companies first announced the landmark deal in June 2023, and it completed at the end of May this year.

Across Vodafone Group, which includes its international operations in Europe and Africa, revenues increased by 3.9% to 9.4 billion euros (£8.15 billion) over the quarter.

In Germany, its biggest market, revenues declined by 3.2% which it said was due to the impact of a change to TV laws in the country and intensifying competition for mobile contracts.

Chief executive Margherita Della Valle said: “In the UK, we have completed the merger with Three and are moving quickly to combine our networks to benefit customers.

“After two years of transformation and change, Vodafone is now well positioned for multi-year growth across both Europe and Africa.”