Singapore SingTel's Mobile Subscribers +38% On Year In Sep

SINGAPORE -(Dow Jones)- Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (T48.SG) said Monday its regional mobile subscriber base reached 56 million as of Sept. 30, up 38% from 41 million a year ago.

In a statement, Southeast Asia's largest telecommunications company said its Australian unit SingTel Optus acquired 198,000 customers in the three months to September, posting a 17% on-year increase to bring its mobile subscriber base to 5.9 million.

"The growth was achieved despite a mobile penetration of over 80% in Australia," SingTel said.

In Singapore, SingTel signed up about 19,000 new postpaid customers during the quarter, maintaining its subscriber base at more than 1.5 million in a mobile market with a penetration rate of about 90%.

SingTel's four Asian mobile associates - Thailand's Advanced Info Service PCL (Advanc.TI), India's Bharti Group, Globe Telecom Inc. (GLO.PH) of the Philippines and Indonesia's Telkomsel - posted subscriber growths ranging from 17% to 88% on year.

Combined, the four associates saw their subscriber base grow 43% to 49 million as of September, SingTel said.

-By Kevin Lim, Dow Jones Newswires; (65) 6415 4156; kevin.lim@dowjones.com

-Edited by Sarah C. de Mesa

(END) Dow Jones Newswires "

Posted to the site on 1st November 2004