Mobile Today reports that Vodafone UK is to reduce the number of handsets it offers customers, a strategy in line with comments made by ex-CEO Arun Sarin at last year’s GSMA Mobile World Congress. The article cites a Vodafone spokeswoman as commenting: “At a recent device conference that Vodafone UK held for manufacturers, we updated on our strategy to continue to take best in class devices that meet the cross section of customer types. This will mean that we will continue to focus on a narrower range of devices overall, avoiding duplication and improving in market execution and the customer experience.” The article also quoted an anonymous manufacturer who attended the meeting as stating: “The message was clear. They want to drive down how much we charge them, and they want a richer, more uniform ‘Vodafone’ experience on handsets.” Last February, Arun Sarin opened the 2008 Mobile World Congress with a call for the mobile industry to simplify its future development and continue to adopt common standards, including reducing the number of handset operating systems available.

In a separate development, reports today claim the Ghanaian government may review the sale of a 70 percent stake in incumbent national operator Ghana Telecom to Vodafone. The US$900 million deal – initially announced last July – has been plagued with controversy. Although completed in August, the deal faced strong opposition in the Ghanaian parliament and was only approved after Vodafone reportedly made several guarantees, including a reassurance that it would spend US$500 million on upgrading the network. Ghana Telecom is the country’s fixed-line incumbent and third-largest mobile phone operator.