Southeast Asia’s biggest telecoms group by revenues, Singapore Telecom (SingTel), has released its financial results for the second quarter ended 30 September 2014 (Q2 FY2015), reporting a 19.3% year-on-year increase in net income to SGD1.038 billion (USD830 million), underpinned by strong performances both at home and abroad as mobile data usage continues to grow. Group revenue for the period under review (excluding the acquisitions of two firms, Adconion and Kontera, in Q2) increased 3.5% to SGD4.309 billion from SGD4.163 billion and EBITDA was SGD1.334 billion, up 2.7% from SGD1.298 previously. SingTel chief executive officer Ms Chua Sock Koong noted that the steady performance was driven by ‘performance improvements across all of our businesses’. Pre-tax earnings from regional mobile associates increased by 26.2% y-o-y to SGD629 million, the carrier said, adding that its ‘regional mobile associates grew strongly with higher usage of mobile data services, fuelled by aggressive network expansion and growing adoption of smartphones.
SingTel owns 100% of SingTel Optus in Australia, as well as holding sizeable stakes in Indonesia’s Telkomsel, Thailand’s Advanced Info Service (AIS), Globe Telecom in the Philippines and Pacific Bangladesh Telecom. Airtel India delivered sustained improvements in mobile data usage, voice rates and customer base. In its statement SingTel also reported that: ‘The Group strengthened its core business with significant investments in network and spectrum. It also drove important initiatives in customer experience, with innovative enterprise solutions and market-leading mobile price plans. In the digital space, the Group continued to build scale and capabilities in the digital marketing business’.
On a proportionate share basis, the SingTel Group had a total of 187.538 million mobile subscribers at 30 September 2014, up from 171.901 million a year earlier, including 4.068 million in its home market and 9.403 million at SingTel Optus.