Telefonica SA (TEF) has more than 260 million customers worldwide, the company's Chairman Cesar Alierta said Friday in a conference with telecommunications companies.

The Madrid-based telecommunications company had 242.2 million customers at the end of June, the company said at the time.

Telefonica, Spain's largest telecommunications company by market value and customers, has the bulk of its operations in Europe and Latin America.

The company also has roughly an 8% stake in China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd. (0762.HK).

Company Web site: www.telefonica.com

-By Jason Sinclair, Dow Jones Newswires, 34 913958127, jason.sinclair@dowjones.com