Saudi Telecoms Company (STC) has reported net profits of SR2.2bn ($600m) for the second quarter of this year, an increase of 9 per cent on the same period last year. Operating income totalled SR2.7bn, up 19 per cent from last year’s SR2.3bn in the second quarter.

Net profits for the first half of the year reached SR3.8bn, down 0.1 per cent from the first six months of 2010. Operating income increased by 16 per cent during the same period in 2011 to SR5.5bn, with STC’s overseas operations contributing 34 per cent to total revenues.

“Domestically, revenue grew as a result of broadband, data and content services … [our] subsidiaries and affiliates will continue investing in expanding their existing networks and deploying advanced third-generation networks,” says Saudi al-Daweesh, chairman of STC.

Fixed-broadband subscriptions grew by 15 per cent, while mobile broadband revenues increased by 83 per cent in the six months to the end of June 2011, driven by higher sales of smartphones.

The company’s 11 million internet users consumed more than 1,600 terabytes of data, about 90 per cent of the total internet traffic in Saudi Arabia.