Uninor logs Rs 132 cr losses in December quarter

Uninor, a unit of Norwegian telecom major Telenor, has recorded operating losses of Rs 132 crore in the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2013, against Rs 444 crore in the same period a year ago.

The losses narrowed as ARPU increased for the fifth quarter in a row and reached Rs 106, up by 17% compared to the same period in 2012.

After its licenses were cancelled in 2012, Uninor had to buy spectrum afresh to continue operations. The company now operates in six service areas--Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Prdesh East and West.

The company has recently deployed 5,000 mobile tower sites in the six service areas to expand network coverage.

It is expecting to invest around Rs 600 crore in the country during the year that will comprise Rs 300 crore on capital expenditure and Rs 300 crore on operational expenditure.

Uninor's revenue increased by 3.2% to Rs 836 crore during the reported quarter from Rs 810 crore in the same period of 2012.