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Technology Stocks : Vodafone-Airtouch (NYSE: VOD) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: MrGreenJeans who wrote (2807)	5/30/2000 7:36:00 AM
From: MrGreenJeans	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3175

NETHERLANDS: UPDATE 1-LIBERTELSEES 'HEALTHY' EARNINGS GROWTH. 30 May 2000 07:59GMT AMSTERDAM, May 30 (Reuters) - Dutch mobile telephone company Libertel said on Tuesday it saw "healthy" earnings growth in 2000/01 after reporting 1999/2000 net profit up more than 80 percent on strong customer growth and higher mobile phone usage. In the financial year ended March 31, Libertel's net profit rose to 72 million euros, beating average analysts' expectations of 66 million euros, on sales of 887 million euros, up 52 percent compared to the previous financial year 1998/99. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) grew by more than 70 percent to 209 million euros. The Maastricht-based company posted a 77 percent increase in customers and estimated its market share to be at 32 percent or 2.5 million customers. Customers made longer phone calls per month, boosting sales per customer. Mobile phone penetration in the Netherlands was at 49 percent, Libertel said. Libertel, 70 percent-owned by the world's largest cellphone company Vodafone AirTouch of the United Kingdom, is one of five mobile operators in the Netherlands. It is the second largest after KPN Telecom NV. Libertel shares were floated in June 1999. It repeated its plans to bid for one of the five UMTS licenses the Dutch government plans to auction in July. Libertel said in April it was looking into developing its own Internet Service Provider (ISP) as mobile phones will offer access to the world wide web, particularly with the development of a new generation of mobile phones. (C) Reuters Limited 2000.