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Telecommunications Optus now even more a mobile company
Telecommunications Optus now even more a mobile company | Optus now even more a mobile company |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Wednesday, 11 November 2009 | |
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The results make Optus even more dependent on its mobile business. In the quarter, the Mobile division contributed 62 percent total revenue, two percentage points more than the same quarter last year. Mobile's contribution to operational EBITDA was up one percent on a year ago to 68 percent, "reflecting the positive effects of acquisition of higher value customers and ARPU improvements," Optus said. Mobile operating revenue grew 12 percent to $1.38 billion, with service revenue growth of 14 percent and outgoing service revenue growth of 15 percent. Mobile EBITDA grew 7.3 percent to $346 million. Margin was 25 percent. The result, Optus said reflected "another quarter of increased iPhone acquisitions and recontracts." In the quarter, the number of 3G customers increased 11 percent to 3.08 million, 688,000 of which were wireless broadband customers. Blended ARPU rose 3.3 percent to $47 per month, a result that Optus said reflected the successful acquisition of higher value customers. SMS and other data revenue was at 35 percent of ARPU, up from 32 percent a year ago with increased penetration of wireless data products. The proportion of non-SMS data revenue (including premium content SMS) grew to 12 percent of ARPU in the current quarter, compared to 8.0 percent a year ago. Optus did not break out the percentage of revenue coming from premium SMS services - much maligned and the source of many customer complaints, across all mobile operators. A total of 85 percent of new and recontracted postpaid customers chose capped plans this quarter (excluding customers of Optus Mobile wholesalers) Approximately 59 percent of the total Optus postpaid mobile base were on capped plans as at 30 September 2009, three percentage points higher than a quarter ago and up from 47 percent a year ago. CONTINUED
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