An increase in the number of customers taking up home phone bundle plans has given TPG Telecom a 65 per cent lift in its first half profit.

The telco still expects its full year earnings to rise by as much as 11 per cent.

TPG said net profit for the six months to January 31 was $55.7 million, well up from $33.8 million in the prior corresponding period.

Chairman David Teoh said the company achieved profit, earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), and earnings per share growth for the seventh consecutive half.

The number of broadband subscribers rose 9.9 per cent to 567,000 compared with the prior corresponding period, TPG said.

Home phone customers more than doubled to 172,000, from 72,000 a year ago.

Mr Teoh said 49,000 of the new home phone bundle plans were taken up by new customers.

The rise in bundled customers meant TPG’s average revenue per user in broadband rose to $47.40 at the end of January, from $47.10 at July 31, 2011.

TPG re-affirmed its earlier earnings guidance of full year EBITDA in the range of $250 million to $260 million. If achieved, that it would be up between seven and eleven per cent from $234 million in fiscal 2011.

TPG declared an interim dividend of 2.75 cents per share, fully franked.

TPG shares gained 8.5 cents, or 5.09 per cent, to $1.755.