MONTREAL – Bell’s wireless client base grew by 6.2% this quarter, but TV subscriber growth slowed considerably, Canada’s largest communications company reported Thursday.
Total net additions at Bell Wireless were 137,880 this quarter, or 2.3% higher than last year. Postpaid net additions were 159,465 this quarter, or 31% higher than last year, a new Q3 record reflecting an emphasis on postpaid acquisition at Bell Mobility and Virgin Mobile. The prepaid client base declined by 21,585 this quarter compared to a gain of 13,045 last year due to lower prepaid gross activations.
Blended ARPU increased by $1.41 to $53.54 year over year as data revenue growth of 39% more than offset voice ARPU declines due to customer adoption of richer rate plans. Bell said that it ended the quarter with 7,125,266, wireless customers.
High-speed Internet subscribers growth was flat year-over-year, increasing by 21,668 this quarter compared to 21,531 in the same period last year. At the end of the quarter, Bell had 2,085,227 high-speed Internet subscribers.
TV revenues increased by 9.3% to $437 million this quarter due to subscriber growth, price increases and higher set-top box rental revenues. Total TV subscribers, however, grew by only 18,538 this quarter compared to an increase of 40,665 in the same period last year. At the end of the quarter, Bell had 1,997,079 TV subscribers, or 3.8% more than at the end of Q3 2009.
"Bell’s Q3 progress encompassed strong growth in TV, Internet and especially wireless, the introduction of unique new products and services that take full advantage of our extensive investments in broadband networks, continued improvement in both business and residential network access line performance and rigorous cost management", said George Cope, president and CEO of BCE and Bell Canada, in a statement.
For more on the company’s third quarter financials, click here.
