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Carphone Warehouse has reported a 19.2 per cent year-on-year rise in mobile phone connections over the second quarter, exceeding expectations.

Of the £2.8 million total connections sold in the 13 weeks to September 29th, 1.1 million were subscription connections – representing a 9.3 per cent rise over the year.

Pre-pay connections were up 26.8 per cent to 1.6 million.

Europe's biggest mobile retailer also boosted its broadband base over the second quarter. During the period Carphone Warehouse attracted an additional 89,000 broadband customers, bringing its total base to 2.5 million.

Although the increase was lower than analysts had predicted, Carphone Warehouse revealed that 55 per cent of its broadband base was now made up of 'unbundled' connections. The figure is significant because unbundling, which allows Carphone Warehouse to control the service offered to customers including prices, is more profitable to the firm.

Carphone Warehouse said that it unbundled 411,000 broadband customers during the second quarter, taking its total base of unbundled customers to 1.4 million.

The company added that it expects to add between 200,000 and 250,000 broadband customers during the second half of the year.

Meanwhile Carphone Warehouse has said that as a result of its recent performance it expects to report pre-tax profits of between £53 million and £56 million.

The company also stressed that it was "confident" about its prospects for the year and expected to see significant benefits after being selected as a UK distributor for Apple's iPhone.

"Our selection as a distributor of the iPhone in the UK is a major endorsement of our retail model and customer proposition, and we expect its launch in November to give us a significant competitive advantage," said Carphone Warehouse chief executive Charles Dunstone.