Quarterly Connection Figures- 35m Mobile Customers

Vodafone AirTouch PLC
5 January 2000


 VODAFONE AIRTOUCH LEADS THE WORLD WITH MORE THAN 35 MILLION MOBILE
                              CUSTOMERS

Vodafone  AirTouch Plc, the world's largest mobile telecommunications
company, today announced record quarterly connection figures in  each
of  its  three international regions.  During the October to December
1999  calendar  quarter over 3.98 million net  new  customers  joined
Vodafone  AirTouch networks around the world.  At  the  end  of  1999
Vodafone  AirTouch had a world-wide customer base of more  than  35.5
million  proportionate customers from its operations in 24  countries
in five continents.

In  the UK the total number of customers at the end of 1999 was  more
than  7.94  million, with a record quarterly increase of  over  1.075
million  net new customers.  The market for the pre-paid Pay  as  You
Talk  service was especially active during the period,  with  over  1
million  phones  being  sold in the quarter. More  than  4.2  million
customers  now  use this service. Customers in the  UK  division  now
account  for 22.3% of the Vodafone AirTouch total. The growth  in  UK
customers  using  text  messaging data  services  continued  to  rise
significantly, with more than 86 million text messages being  handled
during December alone.

The Europe, Middle East, and Africa region of Vodafone AirTouch, with
interests  in  sixteen  countries, closed the  period  with  over  14
million  customers, reporting record quarterly growth  of  more  than
1.94  million net new customers during the period.  Customers in  the
division now account for 39.5% of the Vodafone AirTouch total.

The USA/Asia Pacific region, which has operations in seven countries,
added  a  record  of more than 968,000 net new customers  during  the
quarter,  and ended 1999 with a customer base of over 13.58  million.
The  USA,  which grew in the quarter by more than 640,000  customers,
recorded  the  best  quarterly growth in  its  history  and  now  has
approaching  10  million customers.  Customers in  the  division  now
account for 38.3% of the Vodafone AirTouch total.

Commenting,  Chris  Gent, Chief Executive of Vodafone  AirTouch  Plc,
said:  'These  excellent  figures show  the  benefit  of  our  global
presence and our unsurpassed customer reach.  They also show that the
growth  of mobile communications around the world remains strong  and
we  continue to accelerate.  It is particularly pleasing to see  that
not only is the demand for mobiles world-wide continuing unabated but
we  are also gaining significant additional revenues from the greater
use of data services throughout the world.'

                                  
For further information contact:

Tim Brown, Investor Relations Director, or
Mike Caldwell, Corporate Communications Director
Vodafone AirTouch
Telephone: [phone]

Lulu Bridges
Tavistock Communications
Telephone: [phone]

Simon Dingemans
Goldman Sachs
Telephone: [phone]