Profit continues to fall for Optus despite the telco attracting many new customers, largely due to its exclusive English Premier League coverage.
Australia's second biggest telco added 153,000 mobile customers in the three months to December 31, taking its total to 9.57 million.
That growth is much stronger than the 12,000 new mobile customers added by Optus in the final three months of 2015.
Optus has invested millions of dollars on sport and music content as it aims to protect and grow its mobile, broadband and television customer base.
It kicked-off its EPL coverage in August 2016 after spending $189 million for three years of broadcast rights.
Its operating revenue dropped nine per cent to $2.2 billion in the December quarter, which Optus once again blamed on regulatory changes that have cut what mobile operators can charge each other to connect customers.
Under changes that came into effect on January 1, 2016, mobile termination rates were slashed from 3.6 cents a minute for calls to 1.7¢ a minute, and from 7.5 cents for texts to 0.03¢.
Optus' net profit dropped 17 per cent to $188 million in the three months to December, hurt by device subsidy costs and one-off project revenue that was paid in the previous quarter.
The telco has posted three straight quarters of falling profit.
"Optus is responding to moderating market conditions with an intense focus on innovative products, unique entertainment offers, and a strong network proposition," chief executive Allen Lew said.
AAP