Once derisively known as Vodafail for its seemingly unending shutdowns, Vodafone has now emerged as the No 1 mobile service provider in Sydney, ahead of Telstra and Optus.

According to a new Roy Morgan Research survey, Vodafone had 30.4 percent of Sydney mobile users in the latest quarter, followed by Telstra with 27.9 percent and Optus on 26.5 percent.

Australia-wide, Telstra remains in the No. 1 spot, however, with 43.6 percent of the nation’s 18.8 million mobile owners. It is the No 1 supplier in Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Said Roy Morgan chief executive Michelle Levine: “Sydney is worth more than $2.6 billion a year to mobile service providers, and the big three network operators between them own 83.3pc of the market.”

How come Vodafone is so far ahead in Sydney? According to Levine, it’s because most users prefer to buy their mobile from a retail store – and in Sydney Vodafone has more stores than either of its rivals.