SaskTel FY2011 results: sales creep up 1.2%

Canadian regional telco SaskTel has reported consolidated net income for the year ended 31 December 2011 of CAD154.0 million (USD154.9 million), up by 3.0% on 2010’s profits, on a 1.2% rise in annual revenues to CAD1.126 billion. The sales increase was primarily driven by the Saskatchewan-based operator’s ‘Max’ IPTV service growth as well as increased smartphone sales and data usage at its mobile division. CAPEX for the year was CAD265.7 million, down by CAD39.3 million compared to 2010, of which significant portions were spent on its Rural Infrastructure Programme, HSPA+ network expansion (and preparation for an LTE launch later this year) and on expanding Max services to eight additional locations in 2011. SaskTel ended the year with 594,000 wireless accesses, up from 569,000 at end-2010, 514,000 wireline network accesses (529,000), nearly 235,000 fixed broadband lines in service (231,000) and 94,000 Max TV subscribers (86,000).