Mobile group O2 added 646,000 subscribers to its businesses in the UK, Ireland and Germany in the three months to the end of June 2005, taking its customer base to 24.6 million, up 15.5% year-on-year. O2 UK added 232,000 users to take its base to 14.616 million, but rolling blended annual ARPU fell by GBP2 over the period to GBP271 (USD470), which the operator blamed on imposed cuts on termination rates. O2 Ireland reported a net loss of 3,000 customers in the quarter, cutting its total to 1.53 million, although the cellco oversaw a EUR6 rise in blended rolling ARPU over the period, up to EUR571 (USD690). O2 Germany added the bulk of the group’s subscribers, signing up 412,000 new users to take its base to 8.388 million, however, blended rolling ARPU at the German business fell by EUR6 in the quarter to EUR356 (USD430).
Despite offering W-CDMA services in the two largest of its three markets, O2 opted not to include the performance of its 3G business during the period. O2 UK launched W-CDMA services for corporate users in October 2004, ahead of a full launch in February this year, whilst its German business has been offering 3G since the middle of 2004; O2 Ireland will roll out its first UMTS services sometime this summer.