Bell’s subscriber growth for wireless services for Q3, 2023, saw a decrease year-over-year.
The telecom giant added 167,000 net activations. Nearly 143,000 are postpaid subscribers. Compared to results from Q3 2022, net postpaid subscriber activations saw a 15 percent decline.
The company also reports a decrease on the prepaid mobile side with just over 24,000 activations, a 57 percent decrease from the 56,000 Bell reported last year.
Bell made less per mobile customer in the third quarter, reporting the average revenue per user (ARPU) as $60.28, down from $60.39 in Q3 2022.
Competition from other carriers played a significant role.
The results take “into consideration the notable step up in competitive intensity this year, particularly during the back-to-school period given the new competitive landscape,” CEO Mirko Bibic said during a conference call discussing the results.
At the end of the third quarter, Bell had a total of 10 million mobile customers; 9 million are postpaid, and 900,000 are prepaid.
Internet
Bell’s net new retail internet subscriber base increased by 79,000, a decrease from the nearly 90,000 reported in Q3, 2022.
The figure consists of 104,000 net fibre internet subscribers offset by losses on the DSL/copper side.
“The year-over-year decrease partly reflects higher customer deactivations in our copper service areas attributable to aggressive promotional offers by competitors offering cable, fixed wireless and satellite internet services,” the company states in a press release.
Revenue
BCE reported $6 billion in operating revenue, a 0.9 percent increase year-over-year.
In its communication and technology services sector, revenue from services saw a 2 percent increase due, in part, to growth in mobile and internet customers, as well as roaming revenue.
Revenue from wireless services grew by 4 percent to $1.8 million. However, revenue from product sales decreased by 4 percent to $799 million. This has to do with decreased sales on the enterprise side and lower sales at The Source.
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