Vodafone Fiji Subscriber Numbers Soaring
The figures make Vodafone Fiji the market leader in an increasingly competitive mobile network environment, where international provider Digicel is its main competitor.
Vodafone Fiji has now got more subscribers than ever before, and the mobile giant is not stopping there. The subsidiary of Government-backed Amalgamated Telecom Holdings (ATH) now has 760,000 subscribers, more than 80 per cent of Fiji’s 884,887 people. Consolidated revenue figures have also grown to $317 million, up seven per cent from the previous year, according ATH’s 2018 annual report.
The figures make Vodafone Fiji the market leader in an increasingly competitive mobile network environment, where international provider Digicel is its main competitor.
The latest results have delighted ATH executives, many of whom have labelled it “gratifying and remarkable.”
ATH Group chief executive officer and company secretary Ivan Fong has offered several reasons for the continued growth. One thing that stands out is the company’s focus on data and the internet.
4G, 4G+ and 5G
The company recently improved the reach of its 4G and 4G+ networks. Last year, Vodafone Fiji became the first company in the region to try out 5G technology, a type of superfast mobile internet.
“Data and internet remains the key growth areas for the business so Vodafone Fiji is trialling 5G mobile to meet the increasing demand for data products and services,” wrote ATH Group chairman Ajith Kodagoda in the report.
ATH owns 51 per cent of Vodafone, while the remaining 49 per cent stake belongs to the Fiji National Provident Fund. Incidentally, Vodafone Fiji fully owns Datec (Fiji) Limited, a company it says is “progressing well.”
Vodafone reports that its smart phone penetration has reached over 70 per cent. The company’s International Money Transfer Services (IMT) also recorded a 60 per cent growth in the volume of transactions, the company says. “Vodafone Fiji Limited continues to maintain its position as the flagship operator of the group and the market leader in Fiji through its continued investment in technology, operations, products and people to ensure that the company remains attuned to its customer needs,” Mr Fong wrote. “Despite its pole position, Vodafone Fiji has not rested on its laurels and continues to forge ahead, being the first in the Pacific Island region to carry out pre-5G trials in anticipation of eventual commercialisation and full scale deployment 5G technology.”
eTransport
The increased focus on information communication technology has coincided with its partnership with Government to launch the eTrasnport system.
The company says it sees mCommerce and eCommerce as areas “ripe with potential.”
But the mobile giant has been criticised on some fronts regarding the eTicketing system.
In May, Attorney-General and Minister for Economy Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum said he had asked Vodafone to improve its eTransport service delivery.
But the company has remained ATH’s top performing subsidiary. “Vodafone Fiji continues to assist ATH in delivering the operational know-how and skills to bring our regional acquisitions online,” CEO Mr Fong wrote. “(Vodafone Fiji continues to help ATH) deliver improved results at speed to ensure the success of ATH’s investments in the region.”
The company says it sees mCommerce and eCommerce as areas “ripe with potential.”