DOHA: The number of mobile phone customers of Vodafone Qatar has touched 1,486,000 by the end of September 30, registering an increase of 8 percent compared to September last year, said a statement yesterday.
The company yesterday announced its financials for the six months ended September 30, 2015, and reported a total revenue of about QR1.07bn ($292.7m) during the same period, down 7 percent compared to the corresponding period last year.
The second largest telecom service provider in Qatar suffered a net loss of QR213m for the period; while loss per share was 25 dirhams (QR0.25).
The mobile average revenue per user (ARPU) of Vodafone Qatar was QR111, which is a 13 percent year-on-year drop, but stable compared to the previous quarter ended June 30, 2015.
The earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) achieved QR211m for the period; 29 percent lower year-on-year, and representing an EBITDA margin of 20 percent.
Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Thani Al Thani, Vodafone Qatar’s Chairman, said: “On a year-on-year basis, the Company’s performance for the half-year reflects the full impact of the aggressive price competition on our customer ARPUs and revenue. However, we are seeing positive trends and expect stronger results in the second half of the year. For instance, our postpaid customers have grown by nearly 50 percent thanks to our network enhancements and competitive postpaid portfolio, including Qatari Red, 10 times more data on all Red plans, and the best roaming pack in Qatar that were all launched during this half year.”
“During the period, we have invested more than QR150m in our network infrastructure which has included the continued upgrade of all our network sites making them at the forefront of technology. We improved our 3G and 4G coverage and further increased capacity which has produced a significantly better customer experience on both voice and data services. A special focus has been on increasing the capacity in the most populated areas in Qatar and in time for the desert camping season, 21 sites have been activated in the most popular camping areas. We are committed to continually investing in Qatar’s ICT sector which will play a key role in realising Qatar National Vision 2030.”
The Peninsula
