Free subscriber growth accelerates in Q1

French broadband service provider Iliad/Free added 142,000 net new subscribers in the first quarter under its own brand, compared with 137,000 net additions for the same period last year.

Free had a subscriber base of 3.531 million at the end of the quarter. Overall subscribers including those of the former Alice service numbered 1.337 million. Alice’s base declined slightly to 806,000 as Free continued to streamline the Alice offer and migrate subscribers to its own network.

Consolidated revenues for the period were €482m, up 42% year-on-year. Value-added services revenue, which includes pay-TV, was €115.6m, up 44%. Group ARPU was €35.90.

Iliad maintained its objective of hitting five million subscribers by 2011. The group aims for free cash flow of €1bn from its consolidated operations in 2009-11.