(Telecompaper) China Unicom reported first-quarter service revenues up 11.8 percent from a year earlier to CNY 63.80 billion. Total revenues reached CNY 76.47 billion. Growth was led by the mobile business, where service revenues rose 15.4 percent to CNY 40.68 billion. The company added a net 8.710 million new customers in the quarter, for a total 289.693 million at the end of March, and mobile broadband customers rose by 9.700 million to 132.300 million. ARPU totaled CNY 47.6 for the mobile business, while mobile broadband ARPU was at CNY 70.3. In the fixed-line business, service revenue rose 5.8 percent year-on-year to CNY 22.92 billion. Broadband accounted for over half the total, growing 11.0 percent to CNY 12.44 billion. China Unicom added 1.794 million broadband customers in Q1, for a total 66.441 million at the end of March. ARPU for the broadband business was CNY 63.3. Despite an increase in sales costs for promoting broadband and facing competition, the operator improved its EBITDA margin by 2.2 percent points compared to a year earlier to 37.6 percent of service revenue. Total EBITDA rose 18.7 percent to CNY 24.00 billion, and net profit was up 73.9 percent to CNY 3.30 billion. Operating cash flow also improved, to CNY 18.20 billion from CNY 15.84 billion a year ago.