Mobile operator O2 Ireland says it won 91,000 new customers in the final quarter of last year, bringing its total subscriber base to 1.5 million. This represents 11% growth compared with a year earlier.
Average revenue per use (ARPU) rose to €564, from €556 in the same period a year earlier. This compares with €370 in parent company mmO2's German business, and £283 sterling in its British operations. The number of text messages sent in Ireland was up 14% to 343 million.
Figures from mmO2 showed that it beat forecasts for customer growth in its German business, but there was a disappointing performance by its British unit.
Europe's sixth largest mobile phone company said it had won 1.176 million new customers over the key Christmas third quarter, taking its customer base to 23.2 million, after its key German operation saw customer numbers surge by 729,000.
But the group, which said it was on track to meet full-year growth and margin targets, added only 360,000 customers in the UK, missing some forecasts. But in a move welcomed by analysts, mmO2 has become the first mobile group to strip out pre-pay subscribers which it estimates have two of its SIM cards temporarily while they switch handsets. MmO2 deducted 250,000 from its UK base as a result of this.
