Vodafone says customers' preference of text messages over calls 'hitting bottom line'

London, July 21(ANI): Vodafone has claimed customers' preference to send text messages than making calls has had a negative impact on their revenues, which in turn has forced them to make various types of cost cuts.

The mobile phone company said its European division had witnessed a 1.6 per cent fall in service revenues, income from calls and texts, in the three months to the end of June as "tense" customers constricted their budget.

In the previous quarter company had seen a 0.2 per cent decline only.

"The weak economy in the UK has led to a slowdown. We are seeing a trend in people choosing to text rather than make calls," The Daily Express quoted Vodafone Chief executive Vittorio Colao, as saying.

Colao said that a 6.1 per cent revenue growth in emerging markets such as India, Turkey and South Africa had compensated for problems in Europe despite some signs of a hold up in these markets.

Revenues from data traffic rose 17.1 per cent over the period helped by the continued boom in smart phones. (ANI)