Competition is heating up between the major mobile phone operators.
New entrant 2degrees and Telecom's XT network have started to lure customers from Vodafone, according to the UK-based firm's latest results.
Vodafone New Zealand lost 27,000 mobile customers in the September quarter, a turnaround from the 26,000 customers it attracted in the same period a year ago.
Its main rival Telecom attracted 64,000 new customers, mainly due to the launch of its new high speed XT mobile network.
Vodafone spokesman Paul Brislen says the company is not concerned about the recent fall in customer numbers, as it's focusing on increasing its wholesale business, which is seen as more profitable.
Vodafone still leads the mobile market, with 2.48 million customers compared with Telecom's 2.25 million.
Telecom's average revenue per user jumped by 16% over the September quarter.
Vodafone is not revealing those revenue figures, saying it's too small a market to break down. The company groups its New Zealand revenues with the whole of the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions.
Meanwhile, the subsidy Vodafone pays to Telecom for providing phone services to rural customers looks set to rise.
The Commerce Commission's says Vodafone's share of the Telecommunications Service Obligation levy should rise by 0.1% to 26.17% for the 2008/2009 financial year.
Last year, Vodafone paid $19.46 dollars.
