By DPA
Singapore : Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel), South-East Asia’s largest phone company, said Tuesday that its first quarter profit rose 10 percent on record earnings boosted by India’s Bharti and strong sales in the city-state.
Net income rose to 927 million Singapore dollars ($610 million) in the quarter ending June 30 from 840 million Singapore dollars ($552 million) in the corresponding period a year ago.
Operating revenue was 3.57 billion Singapore dollars ($2.34 billion), up 10.5 percent.
SingTel expects revenues to grow by more than 5 percent in 2008 on increasing mobile phone and broadband subscriptions.
“Strong economic growth in the region” has propelled broadband demand, said Chief Executive Officer Chua Sook Koong at a briefing.
SingTel is focusing on Asian markets with “large populations and low telephone penetration”, he noted.
Bharti’s contribution to net income amounted to 158 million Singapore dollars ($103 million) compared to 80 million Singapore dollars (over $52 million) a year earlier.
The Optus subsidiary in Australia saw revenue increase by 3.5 percent.