The data card base of Sistema Shyam Teleservices (SSTL) which operates in India as MTS India, grew to 1.5 million subscribers for the quarter ended September 30, 2014, up 6.3% from 1.4 million subscribers in the previous quarter.
The non-voice revenues that includes data and VAS revenues grew by 14% to Rs 147.5 crore for the quarter, from Rs 129.1 crore in the previous quarter. As a percentage of revenues, non-voice contribution increased to 43% of the company’s quarterly revenues, up from 38.6% in the previous quarter.
Highlights
– Minutes of Use declined by 3.7% to 401 million minutes for the quarter, from 416 million minutes in the previous quarter.
– Blended mobile ARPU increased by 2% to Rs 117 for the quarter from Rs 115 in the previous quarter, due to increase in data usage.
– Mobile connection base remained flat sequentially at 9.2 million subscribers for the quarter.
– SSTL mentions that its HSD services now covers over 700 towns across 9 circles, up from 650 towns across 9 circles in the previous quarter and 600 towns across 9 circles in the quarter before.
– In August this year, MTS India had partnered with an independent short films aggregator Shotz7 to launch an online movie streaming service ‘MTS Movies’.
– MTS also launched (pdf) a portable MiFi router called ‘MTS MBlaze Power Wi-Fi’ that comes bundled with a 5200 mAh power bank. The company claimed that this portable router can provide “Hi-Speed data connectivity” to up to six devices including smartphones, tablets, laptops, Smart TVs and Gaming Consoles that are on MTS’ 3GPlus network.
– Earlier this month, MTS India had launched a PC-based online multiplayer video gaming platform called GameGod, with Counter Strike Global Offensive (CS:GO) and DOTA 2 as the first two games on offer. The telco had also stated plans of adding five more gaming titles to this platform over the next six months.
MTS offered this service through two different packages – Rs 1,299 that includes a single unified license of CS:GO, a GameGod Premium membership card with 30 day validity and Steam Wallet vouchers and Rs 4,499 that includes a MBlaze Ultra datacard, single unified license of CS:GO, a GameGod Premium membership card with six months validity and Steam Wallet vouchers. It had partnered with Nodwin Gaming for this initiative.
Financials
– Consolidated revenues in nine operational circles increased by 20% to Rs 342.7 crore for quarter, from Rs 334.8 crore in the previous quarter. The company attributed this increase to the growth in its data revenues.
– Net loss also increased by 8.8% to Rs 437.9 crore for the quarter, from Rs 402.5 crore in the previous quarter. This was mainly due to increase in forex losses.
– OIBDA (Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization) loss declined by 31.6% to Rs 103.7 crore for the quarter, from Rs 136.5 crore loss in the previous quarter.
– SSTL made investments of Rs 36 crore during the quarter while the debt from banks and financial institutions at the end of September 31, 2014 was at Rs 3,671 crore.
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