MTN suffers decline in subscriber numbers
Cellphone network operator says decrease is largely due to ‘review of subscriber definitions’
MTN suffered a 1.5% decline in its total subscriber numbers to 237-million in the first quarter of 2017 from 240-million in the fourth quarter of 2016. "While our reported subscriber numbers are lower than we had expected, this is largely the result of an ongoing review of subscriber definitions. We are planning to further modernise our internal subscriber definitions to more closely align with the changing mix of revenue streams and will report on this at the end of the first half of 2017," MTN CEO Rob Shuter said in the quarterly update released on Wednesday morning. Its South African subscriber base fell 1.7% to 30.2-million in the March quarter from 30.8-million in the December quarter, with prepaid subscribers falling 2% to 25-million and postpaid, or contract, subscribers falling 0.5% to 5-million. "While subscribers declined in the quarter as a result of traditional seasonality, we remain committed to our net additions guidance of 630,000. We are encouraged by the progress ma...
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