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Press Release:
SingTel’s regional mobile subscriber base crosses 100-million mark
Press Release
News Article November 2006
Singapore, 7 November 2006 -- Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) today announced that the aggregate number of its mobile subscribers in the region has exceeded 100 million as at 30 September 2006. This is the largest mobile customer base in Asia outside of China.
The combined mobile subscriber base of SingTel, SingTel Optus and the Group’s five regional associates grew 36 per cent to reach 100.8 million customers from about 74 million customers a year ago.
Compared to the previous quarter, this figure represents an increase of 8.4 million customers. It is the highest quarterly growth in mobile numbers registered by the SingTel Group.
On a proportionate basis, SingTel’s subscriber base in the seven markets – Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – increased 31 per cent from a year ago to more than 38 million.
The strongest growth came from Bharti and Telkomsel. As at 30 September 2006, Bharti’s total subscriber base was 27.1 million. On a year-on-year basis, this is a record subscriber growth of 92 per cent. Telkomsel also added a record 3.2 million in net new subscribers in the current quarter. Its total mobile subscriber base of 32.5 million represents a 38 per cent increase from a year ago.
In Australia, SingTel Optus added 46,000 customers for the quarter, increasing its mobile customer base to 6.60 million. This represents an 8.5 per cent rise year-on-year. The growth was achieved in a highly competitive market. As of 30 September 2006, there were 184,000 subscribers provisioned with 3G services.
SingTel saw an increase of 81,000 mobile subscribers - a record quarterly addition – to reach 1.70 million mobile customers in Singapore as at 30 September 2006. The rise was largely boosted by the good response to SingTel’s "Hot $100" promotion where prepaid mobile subscribers pay only $28 for $100 worth of call value. The number of 3G subscribers also increased to 259,000 from 191,000 a quarter ago.
At a glance
| |
Aggregate Subscriber Base
(million) |
SingTel’s Proportionate
Subscriber Base (million) |
| |
Sep 06 |
Jun 06 |
Sep 05 |
Sep 06 |
Jun 06 |
Sep 05 |
|
Optus |
6.60 |
6.56 |
6.09 |
6.60 |
6.56 |
6.09 |
|
SingTel |
1.70 |
1.62 |
1.60 |
1.70 |
1.62 |
1.60 |
|
SingTel’s regional associates |
92.47 |
84.24 |
66.37 |
30.08 |
27.39 |
21.59 |
|
Total |
100.77 |
92.42 |
74.06 |
38.38 |
35.57 |
29.28 |
More details of the market and financial performance of the seven mobile operations will be available when SingTel announces its results for the second quarter and half year ended 30 September 2006 on 8 November 2006.
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About SingTel
SingTel, Asia’s leading communications group, is reaping the benefits of an international expansion strategy which has been successfully developed over the last 15 years. With significant operations in Singapore and Australia (through wholly-owned subsidiary SingTel Optus), the Group provides a comprehensive portfolio of services that include voice and data services over fixed, wireless and Internet platforms.
SingTel Optus is a leading Australian integrated communications company. Since commencing operations in 1992, Optus has invested more than A$10 billion in the construction of fixed, mobile and satellite networks. Optus’ mobile business unit has captured around one third of the total Australian GSM mobile market.
SingTel is a strategic investor in four of the region’s most successful mobile operations. It has a 21.41 per cent stake in Advanced Info Service (AIS), Thailand’s largest mobile operator. In India, it has a 30.49 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 44.55 per cent stake in the company. SingTel has a 35 per cent stake in Indonesia’s largest mobile operator, Telkomsel. It also has a 45 per cent equity stake in Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited (PBTL).
The SingTel Group had a turnover of S$13.14 billion (US$8.12 billion) and net profit after tax of S$4.16 billion (US$2.57 billion) for the year ended 31 March 2006. More information can be found @ www.singtel.com.
Media contacts:
Singapore: Australia:
Andrienne Tho Melissa Favero
Phone: +65 6838 4934 Phone: +612 9342 5030
Mobile: +65 9678 3697 Email: melissa.favero@optus.com.au
Email: andrienne@singtel.com
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