América Móvil, Carlos Slim’s telecommunications company, obtained positive results in the fourth quarter of 2021. In its financial report sent to the Mexican Stock Exchange (BMV), the company reported a net profit of 28,766 million pesos, which It means an increase of 41% in its profits, compared to the 20,401 million pesos obtained in the same period of 2020.
This is due, among other things, to the discipline in costs and expenses, as well as higher income from services. Its subsidiary Telcel added 1.2 million net added lines in the quarter, almost all of them prepaid, and ended 2021 with 80.5 million subscribers, 3.5% more than the previous year.
“Our postpaid base remained practically unchanged compared to the previous year, but the prepaid base continues to show a strong upward trend that began in the third quarter of 2020,” the telecommunications company detailed in its financial report.
América Móvil closed the last quarter of the year with revenues of 82.7 million pesos, an increase of 11% derived from the “solid growth” of service revenues. Landlines, such as broadband or fixed telephone lines, increased 6.4%; while revenues from mobile telephony services grew 9.1%.
Specifically, prepaid revenues increased 12.5%, while postpaid revenues rose 4.8%, supported by a 6.2% increase in revenue per user (ARPU).
The company also recorded extraordinary income from the sale of Telmex towers.
This positive inertia was able to offset the 13.9% drop in sales per handset stemming from phone shortages, due to the global shortage of semiconductors, during the Christmas season.
The company detailed that from October to December 2021, it reported an operating flow (EBITDA) of 36,787 million pesos, which represents an increase of 33.1%.
And the television?
In recent days, the Federal Institute of Telecommunications (IFT) decided to vote against Claro TV’s application project to enter the pay television segment in Mexico, however, Carlos Slim’s company still has the possibility of requesting a concession for this market.
América Móvil assured that if the telecommunications regulatory body granted it the concession, it would promote an investment plan of 8,000 million pesos.
