BCE profits climb 14% on 9.9% sales hike

Canada’s BCE Inc, the parent of Bell Canada and Bell Aliant, has posted a 14% year-on-year rise in first-quarter 2012 net profit to CAD574 million (USD582 million), on consolidated operating revenue of CAD4.9 billion, up 9.9% from CAD4.5 billion in the first quarter of 2011, with much of the growth driven by cellular division Bell Mobility’s performance in the 3G smartphone segment. Bell’s total mobile users reached 7.406 million at 31 March 2012, up 2.2% y-o-y, as smartphones surpassed other handsets for the first time to account for 52% of the operator’s wireless subscriber base at the end of the quarter. Blended monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) jumped by 4.2% y-o-y to CAD53.84 per month, as a decline in voice ARPU was offset by galloping data ARPU.