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O2 and T-Mobile have both said their full year results were boosted by the upswing in demand for mobile broadband services.
O2’s revenues were up by ten per cent year-on-year, hitting £6.26m. The growth was put down to demand for mobile broadband and the 3G iPhone, which launched in July.
Traditional (voice) average revenue per user (ARPU) was down by two per cent, but ARPU from data sales increased by nine per cent during the year. Total ARPU was £26.66 – up 1.4 per cent on 2007 – with data ARPU accounting for £10.17.
T-Mobile said that sales of its mobile broadband and G1 Android phone had helped to minimise losses, with its chief executive Jim Hyde adding that the firm’s focus on core contract customers and other specific areas had helped to ensure the firm’s losses were low.
Mobile broadband sales shot up 250 per cent during the year, with the G1 accounting for 20 per cent of all new contracts sales. "The successful launch of the Android-based G1 in October and the ongoing demand for mobile broadband services had a positive impact on the latter half of 2008," commented Hyde.
