COM) 30/05/00 12:52: Libertel sees 2001 EBITDA up 40 pct, net of UMTS, internet effects
Libertel sees 2001 EBITDA up 40 pct, net of UMTS, internet effects
AMSTERDAM (AFX) - Libertel NV, a Vodafone AirTouch Group PLC unit, should
be able to realize EBITDA growth of more than 40 pct, net of the effect of
buying a UMTS licence or income from its planned internet service provider
Libertel Whepp, chief executive John de Wit said.
Speaking at the company's annual results news conference, De Wit said the
growth forecast is based on a comparison with Libertel's peers in the industry.
He said Whepp will be piloted among 25,000 Libertel customers in the third
quarter and will later include more advanced services like banking and other
customized content.
Whepp's content will be distributed over a variety of internet-linked
devices, from PC's to mobile phones, and will be free of charge, with the user
only being charged for airtime, De Wit said.
He reiterated Libertel will bid for a UMTS license, but would not say how
much Libertel is prepared to pay for it.
The cost involved in rolling out UMTS technology could be as high as the
purchase of the license itself, assuming each license will fetch as much as 4
bln nfl as predicted by Finance Minister Gerrit Zalm, De Wit said.
"These costs will have to be spread over a period of ten years," he said.
Chief financial officer Robert van Maasakker said the purchase of a UMTS
license is likely to be co-financed by Libertel's parent company Vodafone
AirTouch, which has a 375 mln eur debt to Libertel.
Van Maasakker declined to speculate on a possible share issue to finance
the UMTS license.
"There are more ways leading to the treasure," he said.
Libertel said its 2.45 mln customers at the end of March 2000 included some
1.6 mln prepaid customers.
A year earlier, when the customer base stood at 1.38 mln, Libertel had
658,000 prepaid customers.
"We are going along with market trends," De Wit said, noting that most new
mobile phone users opt for prepaid phones.
He said he expects mobile phone penetration in 2001 in the Netherlands to
rise to over 60 pct from 45 pct in 2000. Libertel's market share of 30 pct this
year will be "sustainable," he said.
be/pav/cmr
|
