Alternative British broadband and fixed voice provider TalkTalk has released results for its financial year ended 31 March 2012, and while the operator saw a drop in its total number of broadband subscribers it highlighted an increase in those customers signed up for more profitable on-net services. As at end-March 2012 TalkTalk’s broadband subscriber base stood at 4.066 million, down from 4.199 million a year earlier, although on-net subscribers rose by 4.1% year-on-year to reach 3.755 million, and now account for more than 92% of the total base, compared to around 86% a year earlier. Sign-ups for the telco’s fibre-based upgrade option, which increases downlink speeds up to 40Mbps for an extra GBP10 (USD16) per month, continued to grow meanwhile, with 9,000 customers now having taken up the add-on.
TalkTalk talks up higher on-net subscriber base, as FY12 revenue drops 4.4%
AllTele increases 1Q turnover by 77% to USD27.8m on acquisitions
Swedish alternative telecoms operator AllTele has posted a 77% year-on-year increase in revenues to SEK199.5 million (USD27.8 million) in the three months to 31 March 2012, as its sales total was boosted by recent mergers. AllTele completed the consolidation of corporate-focused telco Ventelo Sweden in the first quarter of 2012, which contributed SEK74 million in revenues, while it also acquired the VoIP and broadband customer base of another operator, Blixtvik, in March 2011. AllTele also flagged up growth in corporate customers at another unit, mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Spinbox, which it acquired in 2010
Eircom rescue plan thrown into doubt following court application
Eircom’s rescue plan, currently in the throes of being finalised by the court-appointed examiner Michael McAteer, has been thrown into doubt following an unprecedented application to the Commercial Court, which is expected to be heard today. Local press reports say that with McAteer poised to conclude a rehabilitation plan with Eircom’s creditors on Friday, New York-based DW Investment Management, which is representing 52.4% of creditors holding EUR350 million (USD448 million) in floating rate loan notes in troubled carrier Eircom, and Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, the parent company of Irish mobile phone operator 3, are seeking recourse through the courts following the examiner’s decision last week to reject a revised EUR2 billion cash offer from 3 Ireland and Hutch.
Bouygues loses 379,000 subscribers as competition bites
French operator Bouygues Telecom lost 379,000 subscribers in the first three months of 2012 due to the increased competition following the launch of low-cost cellular operator Free Mobile on 10 January this year. Contract subscribers accounted for 210,000 of these losses, but the firm says that since mid-March portability requests have gradually been returning to their previous level
IIJ reports 18% rise in sales for FY2011
The Japanese internet service provider (ISP) Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ) has reported full-year net income of JPY3.64 billion (USD44.1 million) in its 2011 fiscal year to 31 March 2012, a year-on-year increase of 13.7%, on the back of an 18.1% rise in revenues to JPY97.32 billion. Koichi Suzuki, president and CEO of IIJ, said the company is expecting another year of double-digit growth in 2012. IIJ reported 397,191 home internet subscribers and 93,807 corporate customers at the end of March 2012, up from 374,328 and 86,803 respectively a year earlier
Zain to invest JOD85m in infrastructure in 2012
Kuwait-backed Zain Jordan plans to invest JOD85 million (USD119.42 million) in infrastructure and new technologies in 2012, the company’s CEO Ahmad Al Hanandeh told Dow Jones Newswires. The figure represents a step down from the amount spent last year, having invested JOD90 million in 2011, and JOD70 million in 2010. As noted by TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Zain launched commercial services over its 3.5G W-CDMA/HSPA+ network in March 2011 and claimed to have signed up 700,000 users to 3G services by the end of the year.
Morgan Stanley trims KPN stake to 4.93%, financial regulator*says
MarketWatch reports that Morgan Stanley has reduced its stake in Dutch telco KPN Telecom (also known as Royal KPN) from 10.01% to 4.93%. Citing a report by the Dutch financial regulator Autoriteit Financiele Markten (AFM), the journal says the change was made on 11 May. The AFM filing confirms that Morgan Stanley’s stake comprises 2.33% in shares and 2.60% in futures and options.
Meteor booked pre-tax losses of EUR146m in fiscal 2010/11
Meteor Mobile, the cellular subsidiary of struggling Irish incumbent Eircom, booked pre-tax losses of EUR146.6 million (USD188.7 million) for its financial year ended 30 June 2011, impacted by an impairment charge of EUR112 million. The cellco said the charge related to lower cash flows from its business, due to intense competition and a weaker macroeconomic environment, made worse by the IMF-led bailout and the impact of the national budget last year – all of which led to reduced consumer spending and a rise in unemployment
Telkom refutes claim it has submitted Pacnet bid
The chairman of PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom Indonesia), Jusman Syafii, has told Dow Jones Newswires that his firm has not submitted a bid to buy the undersea cable operator Pacnet Limited, scotching earlier press rumours that a deal is in place. The official declined to provide full details, but did say: ‘We’re just assessing [a deal], but there’s been no decision and we haven’t yet submitted a bid.’ Last week, Reuters reported that Telkom, Indonesia’s largest telecommunications firm by assets and subscribers, submitted a bid to buy Pacnet for around USD1 billion including debt, after conducting due diligence on its business over the past few months. The report went on to claim that Pacnet had appointed Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs to advise on a planned sale
Isabel dos Santos expected to move for CGD, BES Zon stakes
Angolan investor Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of the country’s president Jose Eduardo dos Santos, is expected to increase her 15.46% stake in Portuguese cableco Zon Multimedia, with rumoured approaches for the shareholdings currently held by financial institutions Caixa Geral de Depositos (CGD) and Banco Espirito Santo (BES); the two banks have previously been prompted to sell assets to raise capital ratios under Portugal’s bailout programme.
- TNL (Oi) sets aside USD3.25bn for 2012 CAPEX April 19, 2012
- Tata drops out of running for CWW April 19, 2012
- TeliaSonera’s EBITDA falls 0.7% on 3.5% revenue increase April 19, 2012
- Telia Denmark raises LTE upload speeds April 19, 2012
- STC reports 60% rise in Q1 net profit April 19, 2012
- CAT puts 3G plans on hold; TOT told to do same May 18, 2012
- Look before you Leap; cellco to expand LTE coverage to 65m people by 2014 May 18, 2012
- Videotron delivers on 200Mbps promise May 18, 2012
- T-Mobile has no plans to introduce LTE handsets May 18, 2012
- Antares to merge with mobile TV operator Dominanta? May 18, 2012
Blogroll
Search
Recent Tweets
Follow @ovetel on Twitter