[GST Telecommunications Exceeds Fourth Quarter Access Line Sales and Installation Projections]
VANCOUVER, Wash., Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- GST Telecommunications, Inc., a leading Integrated Communications Provider (ICP) in California and the western United States, today announced that it sold more than 52,000 access lines and installed pproximately 42,000 during the fourth quarter of 1999.
For the quarter ended December 31, 1999, GST reported 52,286 access lines sold and 42,166 access lines installed, compared with 38,712* sold and 30,887* installed for the previous quarter -- a 35 percent increase in sales and a 37 percent increase in installations.
"Our access line sales and installation performance this quarter clearly demonstrates that we have the ability to meet our growth objectives," stated Joe Basile, president and chief executive officer of GST. "With the implementation of our Operations Support Systems and strong growth of our core ICP business, we are well positioned moving forward."
GST deployed the first phase of its internal framework to support its integrated Operations Support System (OSS) platform early in 1999, and has successfully deployed and implemented the major components of the system including billing, provisioning, customer care, and electronic bonding. Over the next year GST will work to complete the integration of system elements. GST is one of the first competitive service providers to develop and commercially deploy an integrated OSS, the design of which allows for faster service activation, accommodation of strong customer growth, and the rapid introduction of new services.
The Company continues to concentrate its resources on its core ICP markets, which have shown double-digit sequential revenue growth over the past five quarters. GST has disbanded or divested a number of non-core business units over the past year and a half, including undersea cable, residential services, resold long distance, and paging assets. The resources freed from these ancillary operations have been redirected towards further developing the Company's existing ICP markets, as well as integrating acquired business units into its local and long-haul networks.
Selected Statistical Information
Access Lines
December 31, Sept. 30, December 31,
1999 1999 1998
Access Lines - Sold by quarter 52,286 38,712 31,140
Access Lines - Installed by quarter 42,166 30,887 33,908
Other Selected Statistical Information
Cities Served 49 49 43
GST Owned Route Miles 5,961 5,942 5,748
Leased Route Miles 1,033 866 884
Route Miles (total) 6,995 6,808 6,632
GST Owned Fiber Miles 423,741 381,527 288,527
Leased Fiber Miles 11,776 7,635 11,196
Fiber Miles (total) 435,517 389,162 299,723
Collocations 113 98 86
Customers* 90,668 96,527 79,837
Interconnection Agreements 12 12 13
Employees 1,317 1,297 1,394
Class 4/5 Switches Operational 15 15 14
Frame Relay Switches Operational* 23 23 23
ATM Switches Operational 37 37 22
* Normalized for the divestment of Guam, GST Home, and GST Action Telecom. |
