Onatel posts 22% rise in H1 sales

Office Nationale des Telecommunications (Onatel), Burkina Faso’s incumbent fixed line telecoms operator, has announced it generated revenue of XAF6.982 billion (USD13.4 million) in the first half of 2012, an increase of 168% compared to the XAF2.609 billion reported in the year-ago period. The growth was driven by a 22% year-on-year increase in revenue from XAF46.83 billion in the six months ended 30 June 2011 to XAF57.293 billion in the corresponding period of 2012, the company said in a statement to the West African regional BRVM bourse. At the end of June 2012 Onatel had a total of 31,108 internet customers (up 6% year-on-year) and 142,615 fixed line subscribers (up slightly from 142,575), while customers of its wholly owned mobile unit Telmob grew 28% from 2.795 million at the end of Q2 2011 to 3.573 million a year later.