MTN subscriber figures rise 11%

Africa’s largest mobile phone operator MTN reported overall subscribers rose 11% from the last quarter of 2007 to 68.2 million in the first quarter of 2008. The South African-based cellco, saw the greatest increase in the Iranian market where it launched operations in October 2006. In Iran subscribers grew by 50% to 9.02 million, while in its home market, MTN said its subscriber base increased by 3% to 15.2 million and Nigerian subscriptions were up 8% to 17.8 million. In Sudan, subscribers grew 13% and in Afghanistan 22%.