­Telecom Argentina has seen its first quarter profits rise by 17% to P$411 million (US$105 million), while revenues were up by 15% to P$3.25 billion (US$832 million). The mobile subscriber base rose by 12% to reach 16.8 million.

As of the end of March 2010, the company’s mobile subsidiary, Personal almost reached 15 million subscribers in Argentina (+13% or 1.8 million vs. 1Q09). It is worth noting that 473 thousand subscribers were incorporated during 1Q10. Approximately 30% of the overall subscriber base is postpaid (including “Cuentas claras” plans and 3G modems) and 70% is prepaid.

Service revenues (excluding handset sales) reached P$1,875 million (+18% vs. 1Q09) with 34% corresponding to VAS revenues. Also noteworthy is SMS traffic performance, which climbed from a monthly average of 2,047 million messages in 1Q09 to 4,258 million in 1Q10 (+108% vs. 1Q09). Average Monthly Revenue per User (ARPU) increased to approximately P$41 during 1Q10.

The Paraguayan subsidiary, Nucleo’s subscriber base maintained nearly 1.8 million clients (including Internet clients). Prepaid and Postpaid customers represented 88% and 12%, respectively.

——-

See the Telecom Argentina account record in Latin Target.

What is Latin Target? Find out more at www.latintarget.com