The Singapore-based telco said that it has 35 per cent more or 64 million customers year-on-year, bringing its combined regional mobile customer base to 249 million as at 31 March 2009.
The group’s aggregate mobile customer base in all eight markets—Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand—grew 7.3 per cent, or 17 million on a sequential quarterly basis. The proportionate mobile customer base rose 33 per cent from a year ago or seven per cent from a quarter ago.
The telco’s six regional associates continued to post double-digit customer growth of between 10 per cent and 52 per cent compared to a year ago.
Regional success
India-based Bharti posted the biggest jump in customer numbers among the associates. Its mobile base reached 93.9 million customers, an increase of 52 per cent from a year ago or 9.7 per cent from a quarter ago. It also achieved its highest ever quarterly net additions of 8.3 million mobile customers this quarter and had 24 per cent market share of the total wireless subscriber base.
In Pakistan, Warid grew its total customer base by three million to 17.4 million, an increase of 21 per cent from a year ago. PBTL’s total mobile customer base in Bangladesh was 1.9 million, an increase of 315,000, or 20 per cent more from a year ago.
Telkomsel grew its mobile customer base by 41 per cent or 20.8 million from a year ago. In the quarter, the Indonesian operator added 6.8 million customers and grew its market share by three percentage points to 49 per cent from a quarter ago.
Thailand and the Philippines, the more mature markets, also posted strong mobile customer additions. Thailand’s AIS added 2.5 million mobile subscribers or 10 per cent more from a year ago. Globe from Philippines added 4.5 million mobile customers or 21 per cent more from a year ago.
iPhone power
In its home market, SingTel extended its market share and leadership position in the mobile market in the quarter from a year ago. It added 405,000 new customers, or 16 per cent more from a year ago, bringing its total mobile customer base to 2.98 million and extended its market share to 46.4 per cent, an increase of three percentage points from a year ago. A total of 34,000 new mobile customers were added during the quarter, of which 22,000 were postpaid net additions.
Thanks to iPhone 3G, demand for 3G services continued to remain strong, with 72,000 subscribers added. SingTel’s total 3G mobile subscriber base reached 1.21 million.
Australia-based Optus’ mobile customer base expanded 9.1 per cent from a year ago to 7.79 million. The solid growth was evidenced by the addition of 156,000 new mobile customers in the March quarter, including a total of 105,000 postpaid customers, driven by a number of offers that include the iPhone 3G. The number of 3G subscribers increased to 2.58 million this quarter.
