Magyar Telekom - H1 2008 results

Thursday, August 7th, 2008

Magyar Telekom (NYSE: MTA)(Budapest: MTELEKOM) today reported its consolidated financial results for the first six months of 2008, in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

T-Com

Revenues before elimination fell by 2.7% to HUF 75.0 bn in Q2 2008 compared to the same period last year, while EBITDA margin was 41.6%.

  • T-Com Hungary reported a revenue decline of 1.5% to HUF 60.8 bn in Q2 2008. The decline was driven by decreasing voice revenues, with increasing competition primarily from mobile and cable operators causing a continuous reduction in traffic and average tariff levels. Internet revenues were also slightly down, reflecting the slowdown in ADSL customer growth and the decline in average broadband price levels. The total number of broadband connections was above 742,000 at end-June 2008, while the aforementioned competition resulted in an accelerated decline in the total number of fixed lines (down 8.0% at end-June 2008 compared to a year ago). On the other hand, the reversal of provisions related to fixed to mobile traffic revenues in the amount of HUF 3.2 bn had a positive impact both on revenues and EBITDA. Driven by this reversal and headcount reduction related severance expenses of HUF 2.7 bn accounted in Q2 2007, EBITDA was up by 23.0% to HUF 27.7 bn and EBITDA margin was 45.6%.
  • Revenues of T-Com Crna Gora (Crnogorski Telekom) were down by 19.3% to HUF 4.5 bn in Q2 2008. The decline in retail and wholesale traffic revenues was mainly driven by mobile substitution and significantly lower transit traffic from the mobile competitor Promonte. The strong increase in internet and data revenues was a result of the rapidly increasing broadband market. The ADSL customer base almost tripled in the last year, while demand for IPTV services also drove broadband revenues. EBITDA was down by 25.0% to HUF 1.5 bn and EBITDA margin was 33.3% in Q2 2008.
T-COM                           Jun 30, 2007   Jun 30, 2008   % change
                                ------------   ------------   --------
Hungary
 Cable television customers          411,521        418,102       1.6%
 IPTV customers                        2,069         15,569     652.5%
Montenegro
 IPTV customers                            0         11,087       n.a.

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