Year-on-year growth of 45% in mobile customer base
Total number of customers continued to increase despite slowdown in growth of regional economies
Singtel grew customer base despite full mobile number portability in Singapore
Singapore, 11 August 2008 -- Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel) today announced that 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%
[1]from 136.35 million customers.
On a quarterly basis, the increase was 6.7%.
On a proportionate share basis, the customer base grew 42% year-on-year or 7.2% quarter-on-quarter to 70.76 million.
Double-digit year-on-year growth by associates
The regional associates
[2] increased their mobile customer bases by between 14% and 63% compared to a year ago.
In the three months to 30 June 2008, 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.
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.
AIS also continued to lead the market in Thailand.
During the quarter, it attracted more than 877,000 new customers. Its total base of 25.96 million customers represented about 46% share of the Thai market.
Globe added 1.46 million mobile customers to bring its total base to 22.74 million as at 30 June 2008.
For the same period, 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.
Optus continued to build scale
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.
The number of its 3G subscribers also rose to 1.87 million, a 33% increase compared to a quarter ago. Optus continued to expand its 3G HSPA mobile network. As at 30 June 2008, its 3G network provided coverage to more than 80% of the population.
Singtel gained more customers despite full Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
In a competitive market which saw the implementation of full MNP on 13 June 2008, Singtel continued to gain more customers in Singapore.
It added 182,000 new mobile customers in the quarter to bring its total mobile customer base to 2.75 million as at 30 June 2008.
With a strong presence in the foreign worker segment, Singtel’s prepaid customer base grew 151,000 in the quarter. As at 30 June 2008, it had 1.34 million prepaid customers.
The demand for 3G mobile services grew steadily. Singtel had 961,000 3G mobile subscribers as at 30 June 2008, representing 68% of its total postpaid base.
Regional mobile customer base at a glance
|
|
Aggregate
Customer Base (million)
|
Proportionate
Customer Base (million)
|
||||
|
30 Jun 08
|
31 Mar 08
|
30 Jun 07
|
30 Jun 08
|
31 Mar 08
|
30 Jun 07
|
|
|
Singtel
|
2.75
|
2.57
|
1.95
|
2.75
|
2.57
|
1.95
|
|
Optus
|
7.24
|
7.14
|
6.80
|
7.24
|
7.14
|
6.80
|
|
Bharti
|
69.38
|
61.99
|
42.70
|
20.69
|
18.50
|
12.79
|
|
Telkomsel
|
52.44
|
51.34
|
42.81
|
18.36
|
17.97
|
14.98
|
|
AIS
|
25.96
|
25.09
|
22.69
|
5.54
|
5.36
|
4.85
|
|
Globe
|
22.74
|
21.27
|
18.13
|
10.76
|
9.46
|
8.07
|
|
Warid
|
15.49
|
14.40
|
-
|
4.65
|
4.32
|
-
|
|
PBTL
|
1.70
|
1.56
|
1.27
|
0.77
|
0.70
|
0.57
|
|
Group total
|
197.71
|
185.34
|
136.35
|
70.76
|
66.02
|
50.01
|
Details on the performance of the regional associates will be available when Singtel announces its results for the first quarter ended 30 June 2008 on 12 August 2008.
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About Singtel
Singtel is a strategic investor in the region’s most successful mobile operations. It has a 21.35% stake in Thailand’s Advanced Info Service (AIS). In India, it has a 30.44% effective interest in Bharti, the country’s largest GSM operator. One of Singtel’s earliest investments in the region is Globe Telecom in the Philippines. Today, it has a 47.34% stake in Globe. Singtel has a 35% stake in Indonesia’s largest mobile operator, Telkomsel.
It also has a 45% equity stake in Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited (PBTL) and a 30% equity interest in Warid Telecom inPakistan. More information can be found at www.singtel.com and www.optus.com.au.
