Smart, Piltel add 2.06-M mobile phone subscribers in first half

Despite tougher times, Smart Communications Inc., the wireless subsidiary of telecommunications leader Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), managed to grow its subscriber base as it reported total cellular subscribers of 22.47 million as of end-June this year.

Company officials reported that Smart and its wholly owned subsidiary Pilipino Telephone Inc. (Piltel) added approximately 1.57 million cellular subscribers in the second quarter of 2006. For the first six months of the year, total net additions reached about 2.06 million subscribers.

Consolidated wireless service revenues for the PLDT Group rose to P18.9 billion for the first quarter of 2006, six percent higher than the P17.8 billion realized in the same period last year.

Both Smart and Piltel sustained their solid performances for the quarter as consolidated wireless EBITDA (earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation and amortization) improved by seven percent to P12.4 billion for the 2006 quarter versus P11.6 billion for the 2005 quarter. EBITDA margins improved to 66 percent.

At the end of the first quarter of 2006, Smart’s 2G cellular network had 38 switches and 6,043 base stations covering over 99 percent of the country’s population. Capital expenditures for the first three months of 2006 were P2.5 billion with annual capital expenditures expected to reach P9 billion.

The PLDT Group’s total cellular subscriber base for the period grew by approximately 491,000 to 20.9 million as of the end of the first quarter of this year, for a market share of 58 percent both in terms of subscribers and revenues.

Smart recorded net additions of approximately 117,000 subscribers while Talk N’ Text added about 374,000 subscribers to end the first quarter of 2006 with 15.4 million and five million subscribers, respectively.

Smart also had close to 40,000 wireless broadband subscribers as of the end of March 2006. Smart now has over 2,000 wireless broadband-enabled base stations providing high-speed Internet access to 386 cities and municipalities all over the country.

"Viewed from the widening array of services that we now offer, Smart is no longer just a cellular company. On the one hand, we continue to build our 2G business through creative SMS and voice service packages that enable us to generate incremental revenues and at the same time further broaden our base in the large lower-income segments of the cellular market. On the other, we are gaining traction in the broadband area where we offer services on mobile and fixed wireless platforms through Smart 3G and Smart Bro. We have moved into the sphere of total communications‚ and will pursue that path with vigor. But no matter what direction we move towards, we will continue to deliver value to our subscribers," PLDT and Smart president and CEO Napoleon Nazareno earlier said.