Amp’d Mobile Inc. continues to tout its success in the mobile virtual network operator space, gaining more than 70,000 customers in the fourth quarter to end 2006 with more than 100,000 customers.
The company is one of the few MVNOs to release details of its customer growth and revenues. Company CEO and founder Peter Adderton has called on other MVNOs to give out their numbers, but so far few have done so. Adderton said in September that the company was “fast approaching” 50,000 customers and expected to have between 100,000 and 150,000 customers by the end of the year. The company’s results are in line with Adderton’s predictions and could put Amp’d at a customer base of as many as 120,000 subs.
“Amp’d has always said mobile entertainment has the potential to change the way the world amuses itself. Our strong performance to date, unique entertainment offerings and expansion into international markets proves we’re on our way,” said Adderton.
Amp’d reported that 89 percent of its customer base is on postpaid contracts, and that its average revenue per user is well over $100 per month. Data and content make up more than $30 per month of total ARPU, the company said, and almost 60 percent of that $30 is from content; the company said that other carriers typically receive about 25 percent of their data ARPU from content.
Among other statistics that the company reported:
c Users have downloaded or streamed more than 2 million paid videos, with video ARPU at more than $10.
c Amp’d original content accounted for nearly 40 percent of video downloads; the company credited the popularity of its live coverage of extreme sports and shows such as “Lil Bush: Resident of the United States” (which was recently picked up by Comedy Central for development into a TV show).
c More than 1 million paid songs, music videos and radio streams have been downloaded or streamed, with more full-track songs downloaded than ringtones.
c More than one-third of the Amp’d customer base downloaded at least one game, and game revenue is approaching $3 per month per customer, with active game users running around $13 per month. Amp’d reported that its subscribers downloaded an average of 2.5 games and applications each last year.
“They’re focusing on content and entertainment, and the fact that they are driving that kind of [content] consumption is in line with their focus,” said Linda Barrabee, a senior wireless analyst with Yankee Group. “I think the fourth quarter was clearly an important quarter for them. At least from the outside perspective, it’s a good sign for them as a company.”
However, she said, it’s still too early to make a call on whether Amp’d will continue to hit future targets and eventually become profitable. “I don’t know if you can look at them as a bellwether for MVNOs in general.”
