Singtel Group’s mobile customer base expanded to 262 million
Bharti hit the 100 million customer mark
Optus crossed the 8 million mark
Singtel maintained leadership position
Singapore, 12 August 2009 -- Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel) announced that the Group posted strong growth in customer acquisitions with the addition of 64 million customers, or 33 per cent more from a year ago bringing its combined regional mobile customer base to 262 million as at 30 June 2009.
The Group’s aggregate mobile customer base in all eight markets, Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, grew 5.1 per cent, or 13 million on a sequential quarterly basis.
The proportionate mobile customer base rose 4.5 per cent from a quarter ago.
|
|
Aggregate Customer Base
(in 000s)
|
Proportionate Customer Base*
(in 000s)
|
||||
|
|
30 Jun 09
|
31 Mar 09
|
30 Jun 08
|
30 Jun 09
|
31 Mar 09
|
30 Jun 08
|
|
Singtel
|
2,991
|
2,976
|
2,753
|
2,991
|
2,976
|
2,753
|
|
Optus
|
8,002
|
7,789
|
7,238
|
8,002
|
7,789
|
7,238
|
|
Bharti
|
102,368
|
93,923
|
69,384
|
30,443
|
27,962
|
20,690
|
|
Telkomsel
|
76,013
|
72,133
|
52,442
|
26,605
|
25,247
|
18,355
|
|
AIS
|
27,902
|
27,582
|
25,965
|
5,954
|
5,889
|
5,543
|
|
Globe
|
25,024
|
25,737
|
22,738
|
11,846
|
12,184
|
10,764
|
|
Warid
|
17,887
|
17,376
|
15,490
|
5,366
|
5,213
|
4,647
|
|
PBTL
|
1,965
|
1,874
|
1,704
|
884
|
843
|
767
|
|
Group Total
|
262,153
|
249,389
|
197,714
|
92,091
|
88,103
|
|
|
70,757
|
* Proportionate base represents the number of mobile customers of an associate multiplied by the Singtel Group’s effective percentage ownership in the venture at the respective dates.
Strong customer growth from associates
Bharti, India’s number one mobile phone operator, posted the biggest jump in customer numbers among the associates. Its mobile base passed the 100 million mark. Bharti added 33 million customers, an increase of 48 per cent to 102.4 million as at 30 June 2009 from a year ago.
It also achieved its highest ever quarterly net additions of 8.4 million mobile customers this quarter and had 24.0 per cent market share of the total wireless customer base as at 30 June 2009.
Telkomsel grew its mobile customer base by 45 per cent or 23.6 million from a year ago to reach 76.0 million. In the quarter, the Indonesian operator added 3.9 million customers and grew its market share by 1.6 percentage points to 51.1 per cent as at 30 June 2009 from a quarter ago. This was its second consecutive quarter of growth in its market share.
Globe added 2.3 million mobile customers or 10 per cent more from a year ago, bringing its base to 25.0 million. In this quarter, Globe, in the Philippines, churned out some of its marginal mobile customers. As a result, Globe, registered a net reduction of 0.7 million mobile customers in the quarter ended 30 June 2009 compared to a net addition of 1.0 million mobile customers in the preceding quarter.
AIS, in Thailand, added 1.9 million mobile customers or 7.5 per cent more from a year ago to 27.9 million and continued to lead the market with about 44 per cent market share.
In Pakistan, Warid grew its total customer base by 2.4 million to 17.9 million, an increase of 15 per cent from a year ago. PBTL's total mobile customer base in Bangladesh was 2.0 million, an increase of 261,000, or 15 per cent more from a year ago.
Optus accelerating momentum in mobile
Optus’ mobile customer base expanded 11 per cent from a year ago to more than 8 million as at 30 June 2009.
Optus accelerated its mobile customer growth momentum with the addition of 213,000 new mobile and wireless broadband customers in the quarter, including a total of 139,000 postpaid customers. This growth was underpinned by demand for Apple iPhoneTM 3G, other smart phones, and ‘Timeless’ plans.
In the quarter, the number of 3G customers increased to 2.76 million.
Singtel continues leadership position in Singapore
In the quarter, Singtel gained 15,000 new customers bringing its total mobile customer base to 2.99 million or 45.9 per cent of the Singapore market.
Net additions were affected by a 7,000 decline in the number of prepaid mobile customers as a result of deactivating improperly registered customers while adding 22,000 postpaid mobile customers.
From a year ago, Singtel added 238,000 mobile customers. Demand for 3G mobile services continued to be strong with net additions of 64,000 in the quarter bringing its total 3G customer base to 1.28 million as at 30 June 2009.
More information on the performance of the Singtel Group will be available when it announces its results for the first quarter ended 30 June 2009 on 13 August 2009.
About Singtel
Singtel is a strategic investor in the region’s most successful mobile operations. It has a 21.35 per cent stake in Thailand’s Advanced Info Service (AIS). In India, it has a 30.44 per cent 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 per cent stake in Globe. Singtel has a 35 per cent stake in Indonesia’s largest mobile operator, Telkomsel. It also has a 45 per cent stake in Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited (PBTL) and a 30 per cent stake in Warid Telecom in Pakistan. More information can be found at
www.singtel.com and
www.optus.com.au.
