No Price War, Voda Boss Pledges

SYDNEY – Vodafone Australia CEO Bill Morrow – a no-nonsense Vodafone honcho brought in last year to staunch the gushing outflow of money and customers at the Australian operation – has ruled out launching a pricing war to bring back the customers.

Morrow replaced former CEO Nigel Dews, a former Hutchison employee who was dispatched to Hong Kong for a “senior role” with VHA’s 50 percent owner, Hutchison Whampoa.

Vodafone has lost $800 million and 443,000 customers in the past year, on top of major losses in 2011.

Morrow told Business Spectator that restoring the No 3 telco’s fortunes would depend on investment in its mobile network, rather than cutting prices to lure the customers back. “I don’t think price wars are healthy for anybody,” he said.