Uninor net declines to Rs 70.3 cr

For the same quarter last year, it has posted an operating loss of about Rs 132 cr

Norway-based telecom firm Telenor's Indian arm, Uninor, has reported decline in its operating loss to NOK 90 million (Rs 70.3 crore) in the second quarter ended June against an operating loss of NOK 170 million (Rs 132.91 crore) in the year-ago period.

Telenor follows January-December financial year.

Uninor reported a positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation of Rs 18.8 crore in the quarter on increased revenues and improved gross margin following mobile termination rate cut.

"This quarter the company registered a positive EBITDA of Rs 18.8 crore," Uninor said in a statement.

The total revenue rose to NOK 1,362 million (Rs 1,064.6 crore) for the reported period compared with NOK 1,021 million (Rs 798.05 crore) last year.

The average revenue per user (ARPU) declined 12 per cent to Rs 95 in the reported period as against last year.

"The decline was primarily driven by lower voice consumption and the impact from reduced mobile termination rate, partly compensated by increased data usage," Uninor said. Uninor added 1.3 million subscribers during the quarter. The subscription base was 22 per cent higher than the same quarter last year.

About 26 per cent of its customers were active data users. "Our Internet awareness campaigns and initiatives to bring mobile Internet services to the unconnected are yielding good results. We are in the right direction to achieve our target of 50 per cent Internet customers by 2017," Uninor CEO Vivek Sood said.

The company made a capital expenditure of NOK 253 million (about Rs 197.95 crore) in the reported period mainly related to capacity expansion to cater to increased traffic volumes. It offer services in six circles -- UP (West), UP (East), Bihar (including Jharkhand), Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat and is expected to launch services in Assam later this year.