O2 customer figures beat forecasts
Monday, 23 January 2006Mobile group O2 Ireland added 32,000 customers in the three months to the end of December, bringing its customer numbers to just over 1.6 million.
The company said average revenue per user (ARPU) - which measures customers' average bill - was €572 in the 12 months to the end of December. This compares with €338 in its German business and £272 in Britain. The Irish ARPU figure was up €8 on the same period last year, while the British and German figures were lower.
O2 added 895,000 in the UK and 823,000 in Germany in the period - its third quarter - bringing its total customer base to 27.4 million, 18% higher than a year earlier. The total number of new customers, at 1.75 million, was higher than analysts had expected.
Meanwhile, Spain's Telefonica now has control of more than 75% of O2 and its takeover offer has gone unconditional. It has also been announced that O2 Ireland chief executive Danuta Gray has joined the board of the parent company.
