Mobilink Pakistan, a part of VimpelCom, said its mobile data revenues increased 32 percent in Q2.
The company has posted 5 percent increase in revenues in the second quarter of 2013.
Higher interconnect, VAS, data and other revenues, as well as 3 percent increase in the subscriber base to 37.1 million were the primary growth drivers.
Mobilink Pakistan’s mobile data revenues increased 32 percent.
EBITDA decreased 1 percent, impacted by higher power utilities expenses resulting from power outages in May 2013.
VimpelCom noted that though the political situation in Pakistan improved after the elections, the operating environment remained challenging during the second quarter.
Power blackouts in Pakistan in May 2013 resulted in higher Opex and depletion of fuel at some sites, thus reducing the network’s availability and negatively impacting revenues.
The government removed the SIM activation tax in April 2013, but then reinstated it toward the end of the second quarter, as competition became more aggressive on gross additions.
For security reasons, all cellular networks in major cities were shut down several times upon government request, although shutdowns occurred at a lower rate than in previous quarters.
A fine was imposed on all operators with regards to the regulatory suggested clearing house for international termination.
VimpelCom launched a new brand identity for Mobilink during the second quarter, featuring a fresh new look for the 15-year-old operator.
The network modernization program is ongoing in the northern and central regions, while the rollout of the southern region is expected to occur in Q3 2013.
