Singapore Telecommunications Group’s operating revenue increased 5.9 per cent to S$3.78 billion, driven by the double-digit growth in data and IT businesses in Singapore and Optus’ strong focus on mobile and fixed on-net businesses. Net underlying profit for the first quarter was flat at S$865 million but would have increased 6.0 per cent if the regional currencies had remained stable from a year ago. Net profit declined 5.3 per cent to S$878 million after including a one-off S$84 million exceptional currency translation gain recognized in the first quarter a year ago.
Some highlights:
- The Group’s combined mobile customer base in the region has reached 197.71 million as at 30 June 2008. Compared to a year ago, the Group’s mobile customer base in the eight markets — Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand — grew 45% from 136.35 million customers. On a quarterly basis, the increase was 6.7%.
- In India, Bharti added another record 7.40 million new customers to bring its total mobile customer base to 69.38 million. Bharti’s customers constituted 35% of the Group’s combined mobile base.
- In Indonesia, Telkomsel attracted 1.11 million new mobile customers during the quarter. With a customer base of 52.44 million customers, it remained Indonesia’s leading cellular company.
- In Thailand, AIS attracted more than 877,000 new customers. Its total base of 25.96 million customers represented about 46% share of the Thai market.
- In the Philippines, Globe added 1.46 million mobile customers to bring its total base to 22.74 million as at 30 June 2008.
- In Pakistan, Warid increased its base by 1.10 million customers to reach 15.49 million mobile customers while in Bangladesh, PBTL saw its total CDMA base growing to 1.70 million customers.
- In Australia, Optus’ total customer base reached 7.24 million as at 30 June 2008. During the quarter, it added 101,000 new mobile subscribers, of which 87,000 were in postpaid.
- In Singapore, SingTel added 182,000 subscribers in the first quarter , bringing its total mobile customer base in Singapore to 2.75 million — a market share of 44.7 per cent. In the prepaid segment, 151,000 customers were added in the first quarter, bringing total subscribers to 1.34 million and a market share of 44.6 per cent. SingTel added 31,000 postpaid customers and held a market share of 44.8 per cent.
- SingTel’s Revenue from Data & Internet grew 11 per cent to S$370 million in the first quarter boosted by strong demand for managed services and fixed broadband service.
- SingTel added 13,000 fixed broadband customers in the quarter and retained leadership position with a 54.1 per cent market share.
- Customer base for mio TV, which started a year ago, grew nearly 2,000 to more than 45,000 at the end of 30 June 2008 from a quarter ago. Customer additions in the quarter were offset partly by the termination of inactive subscribers following the expiry of the waiver periods introduced during the initial launch period.
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