Partner Network in Hong Kong

Vodafone Group Plc
15 December 2004



15 December 2004

VODAFONE ADDS HONG KONG'S SMARTONE TO PARTNER NETWORK COMMUNITY

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.

                                      Ends

For further information:

Vodafone Group

Investor Relations                       Media Relations
Charles Butterworth                      Bobby Leach
Darren Jones                             Ben Padovan
Tel: [phone]                 Emma Conlon
                                         Tel: [phone]

Tavistock Communications
Lulu Bridges
Tel: [phone]

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 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 www.smartone.com.hk.





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