Canadian regional telco Bell Aliant has reported net income of CAD87 million (USD88 million) for the first quarter of 2012, up from CAD84 million in the same quarter of 2011. However, the full-service operator’s revenue remained flat year-on-year at CAD682 million in the three months ended 31 March 2012, whilst quarterly EBITDA fell by 1.2% to CAD325 million. CAPEX in Q1 2012 increased by CAD17 million (14.6%) year-on-year as a result of the expansion of its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network. Start-up costs associated with expanding its ‘FibreOP’ branded FTTH network to Aliant’s licensed territory in Ontario, passing more homes in Atlantic Canada, and connecting more customers to FTTH than the corresponding quarter in 2011 all contributed to the CAPEX rise. In 1Q12 Aliant passed an additional 58,000 homes and businesses with FTTH, bringing its total FTTH coverage to 516,000 premises at the end of March. High speed internet customers reached 902,000 at the end of the period, up 2.8% y-o-y. FibreOP internet customers grew by 13,000 in the quarter to reach 59,000.
IPTV revenue reached CAD17 million in the first quarter of 2012, with total IPTV customers of 85,000 at the end of March. FibreOP-based IPTV customers grew by 11,000 in the quarter to reach 52,000, a portion of which were migrations from Bell Aliant TV. Overall net IPTV customer additions were 8,000 in the first quarter of 2012, up from 4,000 in the same quarter of 2011.