SingTel's subscribers reaches 22m

SingTel's subscribers reaches 22m

SINGAPORE: Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel) said Tuesday its aggregate mobile subscriber base in the Asia-Pacific rose to 22.3 million in March, up 13.8 percent from December levels.

The figure covers SingTel subscribers in Singapore, its subsidiary in Australia as well as its affiliates in Thailand, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

SingTel maintained its 50 percent share in the local market, with its subscriber base rising 6.3 percent to 1.49 million in March from December, the company said in a statement.

SingTel last year paid nine billion U.S. dollars to acquire Australia's Cable and Wireless Optus Ltd. Optus Mobile's subscriber base rose 3.1 percent to 4.16 million in March to improve its market share to 33.6 percent.

SingTel also has substantial stakes in Thailand's Advanced Info Service, the Bharti Group of India, Telkomsel in Indonesia and Globe Telecom in the Philippines as part of a strategy to expand beyond the small domestic market.

"All four associates have demonstrated their ability to tap the financial markets for funding, with over one billion US dollars raised collectively since April 2001," SingTel said in a statement. --AFP