by 748,000 in the first half of 2006, up 127% on the customer growth it recorded during the same period last year. It swelled its pay-monthly base by 629,000 customers, up 14 times on its contract growth in the first half of 2005.
T-Mobile said its total customer base stands at 16.7 million, at the end of the second half on the year, of which 3.6m customers are on pay-monthly contracts.
It said it had deliberately turned away from the low end of the pre-pay sector of the market because it is the most susceptible to churn. Its Mates Rates pre-pay base stands at 1,127,000 and its U-Fix base comprises 419,000 customers. T-Mobile said it will continue to weed out low-value, high-churn pre-pay customers from its base during the rest of the year.
Revenues were up 7.9%, to £1.48 billion, in the six months. It posted contract ARPU of £44 per month, and £19 across it base. Non-voice revenues comprised 18% of its ARPU.
“Growth this year to date has exceeded all our expectations,” said
Jim Hyde, managing director of T- Mobile UK. “More importantly, it is quality growth.”
Hyde went on: “We are putting into practice straightforward principles of meeting customer needs with simplicity, innovation and value. We are also leading in the introduction of mobile internet and mobile broadband, and we are placing a strong focus on improving customer service.
“Our aim is that customers increasingly recognise that T-Mobile represents the best in network, service and value.”
T-Mobile re-stated its plans to build up its store portfolio to include 300 outlets by next year. It has added 40 new stores in the past six months, taking its total footprint to 181.