Thailand’s two major mobile players True Corp and AIS registered steady gains in mobile revenue and blended ARPU in Q2, with 5G users accounting for nearly a quarter of total mobile subscribers.

Both saw brisk 5G subscriber growth: True added 3.4 million to take its total to 11.7 million and AIS picked up 2.7 million to close June with 10.6 million.

Mobile service revenue at True rose 5.2 per cent to THB32.7 billion ($918.2 million), aided by a 3.9 per cent increase in blended ARPU to THB207.

True attributed the increases to the removal of aggressive competitive offers, upselling initiatives, a higher influx of tourists and a focus on quality subscriber acquisition.

Mobile subscribers dipped 1.3 per cent to 50.5 million at end-June.

The operator said it upgraded some 7,400 sites, reaching about 42 per cent of its post-merger goal, while network investment expanded 5G population coverage to 92 per cent.

Its net loss increased to THB2.3 billion compared with THB1.9 billion a year earlier due a THB4.3 billion impairment charge on assets related to network modernisation. Total revenue improved 4.4 per cent to THB51.1 billion.

Capex in the quarter nearly doubled to THB6.1 billion.

AIS
Mobile revenue was up 4.3 per cent to THB30.8 billion, driven by a 5.1 per cent gain in blended ARPU to THB224. SIM and device sales increased 5.5 per cent to THB7.5 billion.

The operator said it benefitted from improved consumer sentiment and increased data consumption as the local economy showed “cautious expansion” due to an ongoing recovery in private consumption and the tourism sector.

It noted the growth was led by the prepaid segment and increased tourist-related usage.

Its mobile user base was mostly stable at 45.7 million.

Net profit grew 19 per cent to THB7.2 billion, with total revenue up 15 per cent to THB44.8 billion.