French operator Free added a net 640,000 new mobile subscribers in the third quarter, claiming the market lead in customer growth for the seventh consecutive quarter. The company finished the quarter with 7.435 million mobile customers, good for 11 percent of the market. The growth was driven by number portings from other operators, with customers attracted by expanded access to its plan at EUR 2 a month since the start of the year.
Despite an end to lower termination rates for the new entrant, Free grew its mobile service revenues 35.6 percent year-on-year to EUR 292.1 million. Including equipment sales of EUR 22.9 million (+26.3%), mobile now accounts for around a third of the Iliad group's revenue.
Free also grew its fixed broadband revenues 7.3 percent to EUR 625.5 million in Q3. Compared to June, the company added a net 62,000 fixed broadband customers, for a total 5.580 million. Broadband ARPU improved by EUR 0.20 compared to Q2 to EUR 36.1, thanks to growing take-up of the higher priced Freebox Revolution, which attracts a monthly of ARPU of over EUR 38.
Total revenues for the Iliad group were up 15.3 percent from a year earlier to EUR 944.2 million.
