Smart Communications Inc., the wireless unit of PLDT Inc., said postpaid subscriber base expanded 25 percent in the first quarter from a year ago, boosted by higher sales of iPhone units.
Smart said it acquired new postpaid subscribers at a much faster rate than rival Globe Telecom Inc.’s 4-percent increase.
Smart grew its postpaid subscriber base by 322,000 to end the first quarter with 1.6 million/ Globe’s postpaid subscribers stood at 2.5 million.
Smart said postpaid revenues rose 16 percent year-on-year, or more than five times faster than competition’s 3-percent revenue growth.
Smart added P614 million to its postpaid revenues, ending the quarter with P4.3 billion.
“Smart’s continued postpaid leadership can be attributed to our compelling device offers, improved customer experience, as well as to the groundbreaking content partnerships that have enabled us to offer a wider array of digital services that are relevant to our customers,” Smart and PLDT executive vice president and head of consumer business Ariel Fermin said.
Smart achieved all-time high iPhone sales in the first quarter, with sales volume up by 60 percent year-on-year. This was recorded after Smart launched postpaid offers for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
Also driving postpaid the growth was the wide breadth of video and digital content made available by partnerships with the world’s content leaders, according to Smart.
Smart said it also teamed up with Uber to provide passengers with free in-car Smart WiFi – a first in Southeast Asia. With the service, more Filipinos have experienced the Smart Life even while struck in traffic or breezing through the metropolis.
Fermin said Smart’s postpaid growth indicated enhanced consumer trust in the company, as it boosted efforts to improve customer experience.
“We are happy that Filipinos trust us to fulfill their various mobile needs. We value this trust, and we are continuously improving our network so our customers would truly live digital and enjoy a Smart Life,” he said.
PLDT and Smart allocated about P43 billion in capital expenditures this year, the bulk of which was budgeted to boost Internet services, including the recently announced initial deployment of LTE-Advanced also known as 4.5G.