O2 posted a steady set of quarterly results today, with a growth in revenue despite a slowdown in the number of customer additions.
206,385 contract customers were signed up to the network in the first quarter of 2008, compared to 276,000 during the last quarter of 2007.
Revenue grew by 12.6%, compared to 10.2% during the same period last year.
Chairman and chief executive of Telefonica Europe Matthew Key said: ‘In the UK we outperformed the market again, posting revenue growth of 12.6% for the quarter and adding 206,000 net contract customers, two and a half times the figure for the first quarter last year.
‘Despite a slowdown on the high street, we are currently seeing no evidence of significant change in our customer’s spending or usage, but continue to monitor behaviour.
‘Growth in 12 month rolling ARPU of £13 year on year in the UK illustrates that we are successfully focusing on higher value customers.’
O2 achieved a year on year increase in blended ARPU, up £1.3 to £23.6, however, it was a slight decrease compared to the preceding quarter, which averaged out at £24. Like for like contract ARPU remained flat at £42.4.
The monthly average usage of minutes also remained flat and was the same as last quarter, at 197.
There was, however, the steepest quarterly growth in the percentage of non-SMS data, which rose to 18.3% during the last quarter, compared to 15.9% quarter before, and 15.1% quarter before that.