Robi counts Tk 46.9cr losses in Q3

Robi reported a net loss of Tk 46.9 crore in the July-September quarter mainly because of its continued investment aimed at improving network quality.

The loss came after it recorded a net profit of Tk 68.5 crore in the second quarter.

The second largest mobile phone operator's profit after tax was only Tk 1.8 crore in the third quarter last year.

Robi's year-to-date cumulative loss stands at Tk 150 crore, largely owing to the merger with Airtel and the investment it needed to improve the quality of network.

Though the operator's net profit has been fluctuating over the quarters, its revenue grew 26.13 percent year-on-year to Tk 1,748 crore in July-September period driven by solid growth in data business segment.

Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, chief executive officer of the operator, said the operator always strives to provide the best network to customers.

"After merging with Airtel, Robi has expanded its network to every corner of the country," he said.

Ahmed said with customers' growing trust on Robi's network and services, Robi and Airtel have continued to be the most preferred brand among subscribers.

In the past six months, Robi's active subscriber base expanded by 13.8 percent to 4.12 crore, and 57.7 percent of them are connected to the internet, according to the quarterly report of Axiata Group, the majority shareholder of Robi.

Robi, which merged with Airtel in November last year, reported 79.7 percent year-on-year data revenue growth to Tk 350 crore in the third quarter.

The data revenue growth was propelled by significant investments in network coupled with customer-oriented data offerings, according to a statement of Robi.

Of the operator's subscribers, 32 percent use smartphones and consume 630 megabytes of data a month on an average.

Ahmed said Robi is continuously introducing innovative digital solutions enabling customers to use different online and social media platforms at affordable prices.

The operator's voice revenue grew 31.7 percent year-on-year in the third quarter.

Robi is investing aggressively to fast-track 3G network expansion and improve 2G network quality for better customer experience both in voice and data services.

The company's capital investment amounted to Tk 340 crore in the quarter. It contributed Tk 670 crore to the government coffer in the July-September period.