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SingTel reports mobile subscribers surpassed 44M in 2003, a year-on-year growth of 37%
February 2, 2004
SINGAPORE -- Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel), Asia Pacific’s largest multi-market mobile operator, today announced that its aggregate mobile subscriber base in the region exceeded 44 million as at 31 December 2003.
The combined mobile subscriber base of SingTel, SingTel Optus and SingTel’s four regional associates grew 37 per cent from about 32 million subscribers a year ago. On a proportionate basis, SingTel’s mobile subscriber base in the six markets increased 39 per cent to 18.2 million during the same period.
The consolidated subscriber base of SingTel’s four Asian mobile associates – Advanced Info Service, Bharti Group, Globe Telecom and Telkomsel – rose 43 per cent to 37.2 million as at 31 December 2003. All four operators enjoyed strong double-digit growth and maintained their respective share of the market.
SingTel’s wholly-owned subsidiary Optus posted an 18 per cent growth in subscribers, bringing its base to 5.36 million as at 31 December 2003. The growth was achieved despite a mobile penetration of 77 per cent in Australia and Optus took market share and added more higher-value customers.
Optus has an on-going mobile coverage enhancement programme with the aim of providing improved coverage throughout Australia. Since 1999, it has built an average of one new mobile base station every day, and today the Optus mobile network provides mobile coverage to 94 per cent of Australia’s population.
In Singapore, SingTel Mobile grew both its prepaid and postpaid subscriber base over the quarter even with the introduction of Mobile Number Portability in August 2003. Postpaid churn has remained at a very low 1.1 per cent a month, the result of successful customer retention.
To encourage greater use of mobile data services, SingTel Mobile has introduced IDEAS Direct, which pre-configures new mobile phone models with all the settings required for subscribers to enjoy WAP and GPRS services as well as to send and receive MMS. With this, subscribers can explore the various mobile data services available without the hassle of self configuration and the inconvenience of navigating through the different menus.
More details of the market and financial performance of the six mobile operations will be available when SingTel announces its results for the quarter ended 31 December 2003 on 5 February 2004.
SingaporeTelecommunications Ltd. (SingTel)
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