Vodafone Adds Hong Kong's SmarTone to Partner Network Community

Vodafone Adds Hong Kong's SmarTone to Partner Network Community

LONDON, Dec. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Vodafone today announces the signing of a new Partner Network Agreement, making SmarTone Vodafone's exclusive partner in Hong Kong.

The mutually beneficial partnership brings together two well-recognised brands; Vodafone, the world's leading mobile operator, and SmarTone, Hong Kong's leading mobile operator in multimedia services. SmarTone will re-brand its business to SmarTone-Vodafone, enabling the Vodafone brand to be introduced into the significant Hong Kong mobile market. Under the terms of the agreement, both companies will co-operate in developing and offering products and services, through the SmarTone-Vodafone brand, to international travellers and domestic customers.

As a Partner Network, SmarTone-Vodafone will offer Vodafone and its partners' customers seamless access to Vodafone's international mobile services whilst travelling in Hong Kong. SmarTone customers will enjoy the benefits of Vodafone's roaming services across its extensive global footprint.

Brian Clark, Chief Executive Asia Pacific, Vodafone, said: "Our partnering with SmarTone is another significant step towards bringing our customers the key benefits of the Vodafone brand and services in the Asia-Pacific region. It also clearly demonstrates how Vodafone is leveraging its global scale and scope to strengthen our international brand profile and use of global services, creating new sources of revenue for us and our partners."

"We are delighted about our partnership with Vodafone as we move from strength to strength in delivering even greater value to both our customers and shareholders," said Douglas Li, Chief Executive Officer of SmarTone. "Together with Vodafone's leading position in mobile communications and its unmatched global footprint, we will be able to develop and offer enhanced and richer products and services with a shorter time-to-market and greater cost efficiency. This sharpens our competitive edge and further strengthens our brand in the market."

Following today's announcement, Vodafone's portfolio of global services, supported by its global brand, will be available in fourteen Partner Network countries: Austria, Bahrain, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hong Kong, Iceland, Kuwait, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Singapore and Slovenia.

About Vodafone

Vodafone provides a full range of mobile telecommunications services, including voice and data communications. Vodafone has equity interests in 26 countries and Partner Networks in a further 14 countries, with a proportionate customer base of over 146 million.

For more information, please visit http://www.vodafone.com/

About SmarTone


SmarTone is Hong Kong's leading mobile operator in multimedia services with over 1 million customers. It aims to bring its customers closer to the people, the information and the entertainment that is important to them and, through this, to generate greater shareholder value. SmarTone is committed to delivering the best value proposition in the market through continual improvements in the three pillars of its business - products and services, network performance and customer service. Publicly listed in Hong Kong since 1996, SmarTone is a GSM operator and one of the four 3G licensees in Hong Kong.

For more information, please visit http://www.smartone.com.hk/.


Source: Vodafone

CONTACT: Investor Relations - Charles Butterworth, or Darren Jones, +44-
1635-673310, or Media Relations - Bobby Leach, or Ben Padovan, or Emma Conlon,
+44-1635-673310, all of the Vodafone Group; or Lulu Bridges of Tavistock
Communications, +44-20-7920-3150

Web site: http://www.vodafone.com/


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