VODAFONE : UK BECOMES FIRST TELECOMS COMPANY TO RECEIVE ANTI-NUISANCE CALL ACCREDITATION

Vodafone UK has become the first telecommunications company to receive the Telephone Preference Service (TPS) Assured accreditation having passed an extensive audit of its outbound call centres by the DMA.

The accreditation means that Vodafone and its partners comply fully with both the laws and best practice governing telemarketing. The DMA's auditors carried out a detailed and lengthy review of Vodafone's UK outbound marketing operations, examining both processes and analysing call records to ensure it is compliant. The TPS Assured certification means Vodafone has proved it does not conduct any telemarketing activities that could be detrimental or distressing to the consumer, such as cold calling or misleading sales techniques.

Today's announcement follows news earlier this week that Vodafone UK has installed new barring technology across its mobile network capable of blocking nuisance and scam calls on a mass-scale before they reach customers. Both moves are part of Vodafone's major investment in its network and customer services.

TPS Assured is designed to provide independent and authoritative recognition of organisations that have robust compliance processes, policies and procedures in place. It also acknowledges that an organisation abides by legal requirements, as well as the telemarketing rules and best practice as laid out by the DMA and other industry bodies.

External Affairs Director of Vodafone UK, Helen Lamprell said: 'Telemarketing calls from broadband, phone, TV and telecoms providers feature in the top five most complained about topics to the Information Commissioner's Office. This is unacceptable. We are committed to treating our customers and other consumers with respect, and through our qualification of this accreditation, we are taking action.'

Chris Combemale, CEO at the DMA Group, added: 'All brands want to cultivate a successful long-term relationship with their customers, but this can only be built on the basis of fairness and respect. The DMA is committed to putting customers at the heart of everything a brand does, in order that the business can prosperously grow to be enjoyed, prized and ultimately sustained by its market. Achieving the TPS Assured accreditation highlights that Vodafone is putting its customers first by ensuring that it complies with the rules governing telemarketing, but even more important that it respects the wishes of the consumer.'

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For more information please contact:

Vodafone UK Media Relations

Email: ukmediarelations@vodafone.com

Tel: 01635 693 693

The DMA PR team

pr@dma.org.uk

Tel: 020 7291 3300

About the DMA

The DMA is a UK trade association for the one-to-one marketing industry - those companies that speak directly to their customers and those companies that help them achieve this. The DMA provides best-practice guidelines and legal services for its members, who are typically marketing, advertising and data-driven organisations.

More than 1,000 companies in the UK are DMA members. The DMA also holds industry events, conducts research and publishes reports, lobbies for legislation to support its members' business practices and has a close working relationship with the Information Commissioner's Office. All DMA members must comply with the DMA code, which is available to read here: http://dma.org.uk/the-dma-code.

About TPS Assured

The rules governing telemarketing are scattered across a number of organisations making it sometimes difficult for telemarketers to know whether or not they are complying with the latest regulation. TPS Assured brings all the rules governing telemarketing together in one place to make it easier for you to comply with the regulations and follow best practice. Find out more at www.tpsassured.co.uk.

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies and provides a range of services including voice, messaging, data and fixed communications. Vodafone has mobile operations in 26 countries, partners with mobile networks in 55 more, and fixed broadband operations in 17 markets. As of 30 June 2016, Vodafone had 465 million mobile customers and 13.7 million fixed broadband customers. For more information, please visit: www.vodafone.com.

Vodafone UK partners with businesses of all sizes - from start-ups and small businesses to the largest corporates and the public sector. The company has worked with UK businesses for over 30 years, starting out as a mobile provider and becoming one of the UK's leading total communications partners. It provides a range of voice and data services, secure communications infrastructure, fixed and call centre capability, unified communications and was the first mobile phone operator to offer a truly converged service for fixed and mobile.

Vodafone is currently spending around £1 billion on its network and services across the UK following a similar amount spent last year. This includes £200 million on its network in London, the introduction of its 4G service to more than 871 cities and towns, as well as thousands of smaller communities whilst also making network improvements across its UK 3G network. Meanwhile, The Vodafone Rural Open Sure Signal programme is also aiming to bring 3G coverage for the first time to 100 remote communities across the UK.

Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK Media Relations

Vodafone Limited