Starcomms, Nigeria’s leading fixed wireless and CDMA mobile telecoms firm, has declared a pre-tax loss of about 10.45 billion ($66.4 million) as the loss widened more than threefold to 15.61 billion naira ($99.1 million) in 2011, from 5.16 billion ($32.8 million)in the previous year, the company made the disclosure in a statement via the Nigerian Stock Exchange today.

According to reports, Starcomms turnover also dropped to 20.10 billion naira ($127.7 million), from 29.03 billion naira ($184.4 million) in 2010.

The telecomms company is Nigeria’s leading “triple-play” (mobile, fixed wireless voice, wireless broadband) provider. It is the first telecommunications operator in Nigeria to be listed on the  Nigerian Stock Exchange.

Starcomms commenced operations in 1989 with a customer base of less than 2,000, however, that figure has swollen to 3.2 million subscribers; making it the 4th largest telecommunications operator and largest CDMA 3G Mobile network in the country. It is also the first CDMA 3G network to cross the three million subscriber base in Nigeria.