MELBOURNE, Australia—The mobile-phone operations of Telstra have largely helped the Australian communications giant post a 2-percent lift in sales across the company in the first half of the financial year. Growing at more than 13 percent for the six-month period, mobiles generated a rise in revenues to A$1.63 billion (US$867 million).
Mobile data revues also made up a greater proportion of total receipts, increasing in the half year from 9 percent to 15 percent.
The introduction of mobile-phone portability saw Telstra shed low-yield users, but gain high-value customers to come out financially ahead. The company also expects to lift revenues now that handset subsidies have been removed.
Telstra believes the mobile business will continue to grow despite more than six in every 10 Australians having a mobile phone.
