Press releases (Year 2006)
During the 1st quarter “Bitė Lietuva” revenue grew by 20.5 percent
May 04, 2006
During the first quarter of this year, the revenue of telecommunications company “Bitė Lietuva” reached EUR 38.9 million and, compared with the same period in 2005, increased by 20.5 percent*. During the same period the company‘s EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) reached EUR 8.4 million and, compared to the results of the last year, increased by 58.2 percent.“We remain the fastest growing operator in the market – this fact first of all proves the relevance and benefit of our services to the customers. Besides, the rapid growth of the company once more confirms “Bitė” forecasts that this year operators‘ market shares will become more and more equal” - CEO of “Bitė Lietuva” Maarten van Engeland says. According to him, the company will continue concentration on the most beneficial services, competitive tariffs and will seek to offer the best customer service in the Baltic States.
During the 1st quarter of 2006, the number of customers in “Bitė Lietuva” network reached 1.85 million (57.5 thousand of them were the customers of other mobile service providers) and, compared to the same period last year, grew by 87 percent.
“Bitė Lietuva” continued leadership in the field of number portability. According to the data of Communications Regulatory Authority, till the 1st of January, 2006 even 42.8 thousand customers chose the company, i.e. 63.5 percent of those, who used number portability service. “Bitė Lietuva” has also gained stronger positions in the business customer segment taking 41.1 percent of the country’s business customer market in the beginning of this year.
One of the most important “Bitė Lietuva” news for the market in the 1st quarter was “Vodafone World” service expansion with data transfer possibility. From the 1st of February it ensures the same data transfer tariff in 44 countries all over the world and provides the possibility to choose from 65 operating networks. The new service offers lower data transfer tariffs in all foreign countries and in some of them, e.g. in Denmark, the tariffs decreased up to 67 percent.
“The mobile work possibilities were expanded due to the exclusive novelty service “Push e-mail”, first presented in the Baltic States by “Bitė Lietuva” and “Microsoft”. The service allows to receive e-mails to the mobile phone in the real time“, - M. van Engeland says. According to “Bitė” estimations, in the period of 1.5 years a quarter of Lithuanian business people will be using mobile office possibilities.
During the 1st quarter of 2006, “Bitė Lietuva” has also offered a unique service “Bitė Travel”, having no analogues in the market. The company also ensured cheaper calls abroad, paid big attention to the preparation of 3G (UMTS) services launch in April. Besides, the company continued the „Safer Internet“ program, supported by European Commission, and on the 7th of February initiated the first commemoration of the international Safer Internet day in Lithuania.
The revenue of the company “Bite Latvija”, owned by Bite Group, exceeded EUR 1 million** during the 1st quarter of this year and, compared with the 4th quarter of 2005, increased by 28 percent. The number of customers, using “Bite Latvija” network, increased by 46 percent from the beginning of 2006, reaching 81.1 thousand. Due to the investments into the network, expansion of the retail network and new services development EBITDA of “Bite Latvija” was negative -2 million EUR in the first quarter of 2006. Compared to the last quarter of 2005, the losses of “Bite Latvija” decreased by 2,4 times.
*Excluding revenue from “Bite Latvija”. From the end of 2005 “Bite” is applying the revised accounting policy. The revenue of 1st quarter of 2005 is adjusted accordingly.
** Excluding revenue from “Bitė Lietuva”.
