Telecom Lead Asia: Mobile broadband data revenue has
propelled China Mobile to post 7.8 percent increase in operating revenue at RMB
127.4 billion in Q1 2012 from RMB 118.2 billion in Q1 2011.
Profit increased to RMB 27.8 billion ($4.4 billion) in Q1
2012 from 26.8 billion in Q1 2011, growing at 3.5 percent.
During January to March 2012, the world’s largest telecom
operator added 17.63 million users. Its total subscriber based increased to
667.20 million in Q1 2012 from 649.57 million in Q4 2011.
During the first quarter of 2012, China Mobile added 8.35
million 3G customers. Currently 3G customers stand at 59.56 million against
51.21 million in Q4 2011.
ARPU has decreased to RMB 65 in Q1 2012 from RMB 74 in Q4
2011.
Voice usage plummeted to 998.1 billion minutes in Q1 2012
from 1,013.8 billion minutes in Q4 2011.
Wireless data traffic increased to 148.4 billion MB in
first quarter of 2012 from 144 billion MB in Q4 2011.
Out of this, mobile data traffic 57.3 billion MB in Q1
2012 against 48.6 billion in Q4 2011.
WLAN data traffic decreased to 91.1 billion MB in first
quarter of 2012 from 95.4 billion in fourth quarter of last year.
SMS Usage for the relevant reporting period increased to
192.8 billion from 186.4 billion in Q4 2011.
According to China Mobile, the steady and relatively
rapid macro-economic growth promoted the steady development of the company’s business in the
first quarter of 2012.
As the number of low usage customers increased, the
scenario of one customer with multiple SIM cards” became more and more popular
and the Group had continued to steadily promote tariff adjustment, ARPU and average
revenue per minute continued to decline during the relevant reporting period.
However, the favorable development of the data business
and in particular the wireless data traffic was effective in stabilizing the ARPU and
average revenue per minute. The Group actively promoted its voice business and has experienced
steady growth in the voice usage volume.
Total voice usage for the first quarter of 2012 increased
by 10.1 percent compared to the same period of last year.
The wireless data traffic in the first quarter of 2012
increased by 181.3 percent compared to the same period of last year. The data
businesses of Mobile Mailbox, Mobile Reading and Mobile Video have shown
promising trends of growth.
The favorable growth of the customer base, voice usage
volume and data business boosted the stable growth of the operating revenue.
