Singtel Subscriber Base Passes 44 Million

Singapore's SingTel has 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% from about 32 million subscribers a year ago. On a proportionate basis, SingTel's mobile subscriber base in the six markets increased 39% 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% 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% 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% 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% 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% a month, the result of successful customer retention.

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Posted to the site on 10th February 2004