Japanese mobile communications provider NTT Docomo saw its profits slip in the fourth quarter ended 31 March. Operating revenues slipped 2.6 percent to JPY 1.02 trillion from JPY 1.04 trillion in the year-ago quarter. Mobile service revenues were JPY 808.3 billion, down 3.4 percent from JPY 836.7 billion a year earlier. Operating expenses rose 2 percent to JPY 928.9 billion and operating income stood at JPY 86.2 billion, down 34.5 percent. NTT Docomo posted a net income of JPY 46.5 billion, down by 38.4 percent from JPY 75.4 billion in the same quarter last year. EBITDA margin slipped 2.7 percentage points to 29.3 percent. The operator ended the financial year with 58.01 million mobile subscribers, growing 3.4 percent year-on-year. Churn rate for FY 2010/11 stood at 0.47 percent, up from 0.46 percent a year earlier and ARPU slipped 5.2 percent to JPY 5,070. For FY 2011/12, NTT Docomo expects an operating income of JPY 850 billion compared with JPY 844.7 billion in FY 2010/11, which includes the JPY 20 billion impact from the earthquake and tsunami in March. In 2012/13 the company targets an operating income of over JPY 900 billion. Revenues for the next financial year are forecast at JPY 4.23 trillion versus JPY 4.22 trillion this year.
