China's biggest mobile operator says 4G will be its 'focal point' for 2016.
China Mobile posted a small decline in net profit for full-year 2015, but issued an upbeat results announcement with a strong focus on the 4G market.
The telco saw profit attributable to shareholders fall by 0.6%, however its bottom line still came in at 108.5 billion yuan (€14.8 billion), leaving it with a 16.2% profit margin.
Operating revenues grew by 2.6% to CY668.34 billion (€91 billion), including CNY584.1 billion in revenue from telecoms services, which shrank by 1.3%.
EBITDA fell by 0.7% to CNY240 billion.
China Mobile added 19.6 million customers in 2015, ending the year with 826.2 million, including 312.3 million 4G customers. By the end of February its customer base had grown to 831.3 million with 360.4 million 4G subscriptions.
China Mobile said it "exerted great effort" in 4G development last year, its network boasting 1.1 million base stations covering 1.2 billion people.
"4G expansion is the focal point for 2016," said China Mobile chairman Shang Bing in his statement to shareholders alongside the results announcement.
"On this front, we will adhere to the principle of exploring new markets and striving for excellence," he said. "Leveraging our 4G advantages, we will continue to improve network quality, accelerate the migration of 2G/3G customers to 4G and enhance customer value."
Shang also noted that the telco's data business has become its main revenue driver as user habits have changed. Data will be the foundation for future growth and expansion, he said.
"But we need to be smart about how we capture the opportunity of 4G, as reducing tariffs and boosting usage are not just about revenue increases but need to be tied to efficiency improvements," Shang said.
By Mary Lennighan, Total Telecom |
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