SingTel's regional mobile user base was up 45% to almost 198 million in the second quarter against a year earlier, an AFP report said.

India led the way as SingTel's mobile associate Bharti added a record 7.4 million new users to bring its total mobile base to 69.38 million at the end of June, the Singapore telecom carrier said in a statement.

Bharti, the largest GSM operator in India, makes up 35% of SingTel's mobile base in the Asia-Pacific.

SingTel, the largest telecom firm in Southeast Asia, holds a 30.44% stake in Bharti as well as stakes in other mobile firms in the region.

For SingTel's other associates, mobile users at Indonesia's Telkomsel rose by 1.11 million during the June quarter to 52.44 million and Thailand's AIS subscribers increased by over 877,000 to 25.96 million, te AFP report also said.

Among other associates, Globe of the Philippines added 1.46 million to 22.74 million, Pakistan's Warid grew its base by 1.10 million to 15.49 million and Pacific Bangladesh Telecom Limited expanded its users to 1.70 million, SingTel said.

SingTel's wholly owned Australian unit Optus added 101,000 users during the quarter to 7.24 million while in Singapore, its mobile subscribers grew 182,000 to 2.75 million.

SingTel usually releases an update on its regional mobile user base on the eve of the company's quarterly financial results.

Source:telecomasia.net