(Telecompaper) UK mobile operator EE added 1.7 million 4G customers in the first quarter, taking the total to 9.3 million, up by 224 percent compared to the end of March 2014. It said it was well on track to reach its 14 million 4G customer target by the end of the year. Some 96 percent of new connections chose plans with LTE in the first quarter, nearly half on 4GEE Extra 'double-speed' service. Total connections, including M2M, MVNO and fixed bases, rose 0.6 percent to 30.9 million in the first quarter, compared to 30.7 million in the first quarter of 2014. Postpaid mobile adds, including M2M, rose by 111,000 in the quarter. Postpaid churn was a low 1.2 percent.
EE recorded GBP 1.54 of revenue in the first quarter, up 0.5 percent, on a comparable basis, on the year-earlier period. Operating revenue rose by 0.3 percent year-on-year excluding regulatory impacts, but declined by 1.1 percent including them.
"firmly on track" to reach its target of 14 million 4G subscribers by the end of the year