Vodafone feels like one of those companies that have been around for a long time. And indeed it has, as you are about to see. It is British as well, but unlike some British mobile phone companies that have been swallowed up by foreign owners this one has remained British to its roots.
Let’s find out what else there is to learn about the history of Vodafone.
Where can I find their website?
The Vodafone website is at online.vodafone.co.uk. You will find plenty of information on here that will reveal more about the company.
Are they fairly new or have they been around for a while?
Vodafone first burst onto the scene back in 1983 – well over twenty years ago. It will celebrate its thirtieth anniversary in 2013.
Another notable date they can lay claim to occurred less than two years after they first got started. This date is 1st January 1985. This was when they made a phone call using a mobile handset. Not many people know that, but it shows you that Vodafone is a leader in the mobile communications field. And it has been ever since it first came onto the scene.
Where did this provider originate?
The beginnings of Vodafone can be traced back to a company called the Racal Electronics Group. When the mobile phone licence was granted to them they came up with the name Vodafone to christen the actual network itself.
The situation remained pretty much the same until 1991. That was when the Racal group and the Vodafone name disassociated from each other. Perhaps this was to be expected, as the Vodafone name had virtually become a household one. Racal meanwhile was very much unknown in comparison.
Can you find out more about the company on their website?
Yes you can. Once you arrive on the site make sure you scroll right to the bottom. This is where you will a link which says ‘About Vodafone UK’. Once you click on that you will see lots of different options down the centre of the page.
Don’t ignore the links on the left hand side though, because they will reveal an ‘about us’ link and a ‘company history’ link. The latter option is particularly good because it enables you to see what Vodafone has been doing in each decade since its inception in the 1980s. Notable events in each time period are included in a list format.
For example they came up with a paging network in 1987. Fast forward four years and Vodafone takes its place on the Stock Exchange. Five days into 1999 Vodafone tipped over the five million mark when it came to the number of customers it had. And moving forward again 3G was ushered in come 2004.
As you can see Vodafone has had a long and busy history – and it looks set to continue in much the same fashion.
Do they offer a lot of different plans?
Yes they do – they offer Pay As You Go plans for those who don’t want to be tied to a regular contract. And of course they offer Pay Monthly plans as well. These are good if you want a free phone with a regular contract and benefits.
Versatility is very important to Vodafone though. They also offer SIM only deals which are good if you want to keep the phone you have. And with a variety of upgrades available as well they have a wide range of products and services that they have developed admirably over the years.
What is this network provider known for with regard to their services?
They are undoubtedly known for the wide range of great deals they offer. But in addition to this they also offer a variety of free gifts when you sign up for various plans.
This is a recent addition to the company’s offers, but it could well stick around for some time as it is proving to be popular. And the gifts are big too – with the Wii game console being the best deal available at the time of writing.
In conclusion
Vodafone has had a long history for a mobile phone company. But it has developed and enhanced its company in many different ways over the years, and it looks set to continue on that same path too.
Quite often the history of a company can point the way to whether they will be equally successful in the future. And in the case of Vodafone, their history speaks for itself.