Year-on-year growth of 37 per cent

Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) today announced that its aggregate mobile subscriber base in the region has exceeded 47 million as at 31 March 2004. This is the largest mobile base in Asia outside of China and Japan.

The combined mobile subscriber base of SingTel, SingTel Optus and SingTel's four regional associates grew 37 per cent from about 35 million a year ago. Compared to a quarter ago, the subscriber base increased by 3.2 million, or by more than one million subscribers each month.

The consolidated subscriber base of SingTel's four mobile associates - Advanced Info Service, Bharti, Telkomsel and Globe - rose 42 per cent to 40.2 million. While mobile penetration growth will slow in markets like Thailand and the Philippines, the Indian and Indonesian markets, where penetration levels are still in the single digits, will provide a second wave of growth for the Group over the next few years.

SingTel’s wholly-owned subsidiary Optus posted an 18 per cent year-on-year growth in subscriber numbers, bringing its subscriber base to 5.6 million. Optus has increased its market share from 34 per cent a year ago to 35 per cent.

Optus continues to attract customers to its mobile data services with new initiatives such as Optus Zoo, a comprehensive suite of entertainment, information and mobile content services launched in November. In an Australian first, Optus Zoo made television mobile. The majority of services available from Optus Zoo can be accessed without a customised handset, and this has been a key differentiator for the service in the market. Over half a million customers are registered on Optus Zoo.

In Singapore, SingTel maintained its subscriber base at more than 1.5 million. The termination of about 20,000 inactive subscribers on a promotional 'zero-subscription' plan during the quarter resulted in a slight decrease in the number of subscribers compared to a quarter ago.

In February, SingTel and Optus jointly launched MyDreamD8 (www.mydreamd8.com), the world's first mobile blogging reality contest, to promote mobile data services among subscribers in Singapore and Australia. The contest has attracted over a hundred thousand votes.

More details of the market and financial performance of the six mobile operations will be available when SingTel announces its results for the quarter ended 31 March 2004 on 6 May 2004.

At a glance

About SingTel and Optus

SingTel, Asia's leading communications company, is reaping benefits of an international expansion strategy which has been successfully developed over the last 15 years. With significant operations in Singapore and Australia (through wholly-owned subsidiary SingTel Optus), the Group provides a comprehensive portfolio of services that include voice and data services over fixed, wireless and Internet platforms. The Group is well diversified in terms of business mix and geography.

SingTel Optus is a leading Australian integrated communications company. Since commencing operations in 1992, Optus has invested more than A$7 billion in the construction of fixed, mobile and satellite networks. Optus' mobile business unit has captured around one third of the total Australian GSM mobile market.

Management of SingTel's and Optus' mobile networks has been integrated under one unit with the objective of reducing capital expenditure in the short term and achieving lower operating cost in the long term. Mobile services common to both SingTel and Optus will have the same platform across both countries, resulting in better economies of scale and lower operations and maintenance costs. The combined unit will also share knowledge from the development of new mobile applications, including 3G.

More information can be found @ www.singtel.com and www.optus.com.au.

About SingTel's regional mobile associates

AIS is the largest mobile communications operator in Thailand and the third largest listed company on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. The company's subscriber base jumped to 13.2 million as at end December 2003 from 10.7 million a year ago. Despite the keen competitive environment, AIS remained the market leader with about 60 per cent market share as of end December 2003. SingTel has a 21.5 per cent stake in AIS.

The Bharti Group is India's leading private sector provider of integrated telecommunications services and is listed on the National Stock Exchange, Delhi Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Mumbai. Bharti, which offers mobile services in 15 out of 23 circles in India, is the largest GSM mobile operator in India with 25 per cent market share. As of 31 December 2003, Bharti had about 5.5 million GSM mobile subscribers. SingTel has a 28.5 per cent stake in Bharti.

Globe Telecom is one of the largest mobile communications service providers in the Philippines and is listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange. As of 31 December 2003, Globe had a market share of 40 per cent with 8.9 million mobile subscribers, an increase of 35 per cent from a year ago. SingTel has a 40.1 per cent stake in Globe.

Telkomsel is the leading operator of mobile communications services in Indonesia with a market share of approximately 51 per cent as at 31 December 2003. Its subscriber base of 9.6 million customers as of December 2003 was up 60 per cent from 6 million a year ago. SingTel has a 35.0 per cent stake in Telkomsel.

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