Hutch is highest earner in Q1

Hutch witnessed the highest growth in Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) and lowest decline in Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) among private cellular operators in the first quarter of 2004-05 as compared to the fourth quarter of the previous financial year.

According to figures released by the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), Hutch registered a 16.2 per cent increase in its AGR to Rs 803.9 crore in April-June 2004 from Rs 691.85 crore in the previous quarter. It was followed by Bharti, which in the same period saw a 9.52 per cent rise over the previous quarter to Rs 908.89 crore.

The total revenue of the industry increased 8.39 per cent to Rs 2,625.83 crore during the same period. BPL was the only operator to witness a 4.89 per cent decline in revenue.

The decline in the ARPU of cellular players continued in the first quarter of the current financial year.

Hutch was affected the least, with a marginal 1.4 per cent decline. Bharti's ARPU declined 5.42 per cent during the same period.

The worst hit were BPL and Aircel, which witnessed a decline of 19.21 per cent and 15.58 per cent, respectively.

Hutch witnessed the highest ARPU of Rs 490 a month, whereas Aircel had the lowest at Rs 290 a month.

The industry ARPU declined 6.77 per cent to Rs 402.12 in the first quarter of the current financial year from Rs 431.34 in the last quarter of 2003-04.

Hutch earned the highest ARPU of Rs 670.66 from the Mumbai circle, whereas Aircel had the lowest ARPU of Rs 278.12 from the Tamil Nadu circle in April-June 2004.