PalTel reports healthy operating performance in 2011

Palestine Telecommunications (PalTel) has reported full-year revenues for 2011 rose by 9.4 per cent to US$522 million. Net income was also up, by 5.1 per cent to US$128 million.

"The Group was able to achieve another impeccable set of operational results despite a difficult year of increased competition, regional turmoil and lingering financial crisis in global markets," commented Sabih Masri, chairman of PalTel.

Fixed line subscribers witnessed 6.1 per cent growth to number 385,000 at the end of the year, with the average monthly revenue per fixed line subscriber reaching US$21.1, up from US$20.2 for the full-year 2010.

PalTel counted 2.42 million mobile subscribers at the end of 2011, representing a year-on-year growth rate of 7.4 per cent. Ninety per cent of the installed base is prepaid.

Blended ARPU per month declined by 1.8 per cent to reach US$15.1 and the decrease was attributable to the lower ARPU of new customers and the offer of larger discounts to customers.

PalTel’s data segment achieved a 44.5 per cent growth rate in the number of ADSL lines, reaching 156,000 lines at the end of the year. This increase in customer base was accompanied by a decline in ARPU, which reached US$18.8 in 2011 compared to US$25.8 in 2010. In addition, the penetration rate of the ADSL (per landline) increased from 29.8 per cent to 40.5% at the end year 2011.