France-based Iliad took a €20 million hit to its domestic mobile business due to the Covid-19 (coronavirus) pandemic in Q2, but highlighted strength in its 4G services as an offset.

Revenue grew 6.7 per cent year-on-year to €1.4 billion, the majority of which came from France, where sales were up 1.9 per cent to €1.2 billion. Italy revenue increased 68 per cent to €162 million.

The company did not provide a quarterly profit figure.

Upscaling to 4G
Iliad said its French mobile business experienced a recovery of sorts, with 105,000 4G subscribers added for a total of 8.4 million. Mobile ARPU rose 3.3 per cent to €10.20, credited to success in upscaling its user base.

But the company noted growth was hampered by the pandemic after it implemented support measures, and roaming revenue was affected.

It remained optimistic, though, citing recent moves to beef up its network offering. It is currently deploying 700MHz spectrum nationwide to enhance its 4G experience, with more than 3,600 sites equipped since the beginning of the year.

In Italy, it attributed the rise in revenue to a strong sales performance, despite “targeted and very aggressively priced offerings launched by competitors”. A lower churn rate was also cited, with lockdowns in April and May apparently working in its favour.

By end-June, the company said it had 6.3 million subscribers in Italy, giving it an 8 per cent market share two years after entering the market.