Vodafone expands in regions, cops warning from ACMA

From July, Vodafone will be expanding its regional coverage as it sets to activate 1,200 new network sites, which will triple the telco's site number.

Following the rollout design of its competitor's networks, Vodafone's new coverage will provide better coverage in regional areas on major roads and highways.

"Our customers have been very clear what they want from us," Vodafone's CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement. "We have invested heavily in our 3G network over the past two years, and our metropolitan network is already 25 percent bigger than it was in 2011."

Vodafone is set to flick the switch on its upcoming 4G network in July.

Increased network coverage can not arrive fast enough for the embattled telco, as it continues to suffer from customer exodus stretching back to 2010. Last week, the company announced that it had lost another 216,000 customers, to the bring the total of lost customers since 2010 to 1.5 million. Today has not been entirely all good news for the telco, as Vodafone has been warned by the communications watchdog for failing to properly display its standard call costs in a newspaper ad.

The advertisment published in the Herald Sun in April included Vodafone's standard charges for calls, text messages, and downloads, but not clearly enough, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found.

"The ACMA expects industry to prominently display key information when advertising their telecommunications offers to assist consumers in their purchasing decisions," ACMA chairman Chris Chapman said in a statement.

"While the ACMA is pleased that Vodafone acted to rectify subsequent advertisements, mistakes like this really shouldn't happen."

The Vodafone advertisement had touted AU$200 worth of calls and text on a AU$30 a month plan.

This is ACMA's first formal warning about advertising and the seventh industry warning since new regulations to protect consumers came into force in September last year.