Tata Teleservices Maharashtra Ltd (TTML) continues to report losses, albeit with minor improvement: Rs 156.36 crore loss for the quarter ended December 31, 2013, down from Rs 165.23 crore loss in the previous quarter and Rs 197.16 crore loss in the same quarter last year.
Total revenues were at Rs 711 crore for the quarter, a minor 2.6% growth from Rs 693 crore revenues in the previous quarter and a 6.6% growth from Rs 667 crore revenues in the same quarter last year. The EBITDA was Rs 148 crore for the quarter.
Like last quarter, TTML hasn’t disclosed any information on the contribution of VAS and data revenues to its total wireless revenues for the quarter. In the corresponding quarter last year (Q3-FY13), TTML had mentioned that VAS and Data Revenues had represented 37% of its total wireless revenues for the quarter, while in Q1-FY14, VAS and data revenues accounted for 39% of the company’s total wireless revenues for the quarter.
Note that TTML’s VAS and data revenues segment includes its EVDO based (USB data card) connectivity business (Tata Photon), where it is the leading player. While TTML is operational only in Goa, Maharashtra and Mumbai circles, it operates mobile services under the Tata DOCOMO brand with its sister company Tata Teleservices Ltd (TTSL) which is not a listed company.
Highlights
– During the quarter, Tata DOCOMO launched Photon Max Wi-Fi data card which allows customers to create a WiFi hotspot on the go and allow up to five devices access Internet simultaneously. It is available for both prepaid and postpaid customers.
– TTML has also added 1500 GSM cell sites and extended its service to an additional 90o towns in the country.
– Last month, Tata DOCOMO inked a deal with popular mobile messaging app WhatsApp to offer unlimited WhatsApp usage to its subscribers for Rs 15, which is valid for 15 days.
– Tata DOCOMO also stated plans of expanding its money transfer and payment service ‘mRupee‘ to 26 Indian cities by the end of this fiscal (FY-14).
– In November 2013, Tata DOCOMO said that GET, a mobile advertising related service it launched in partnership with mAdcall Pvt Ltd earlier this year has crossed 3 million video views. Through this, customers have to watch a video advertisement on their mobile commercial on their phone, and are given one free voice minute for local or national calling to landlines or mobiles for each advertisement they choose to view.
– Last month, the telco also reportedly completed the proposed surrender of 20MHz of CDMA spectrum to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). This surrender was due to the imposition of the one-time spectrum fee by DoT. (More on that here).
Download – Press Release & Financials
