PARIS-European operator Orange plc reported strong third-quarter results, with revenues up 8.1 percent to $5.5 billion compared with the second quarter and a 2.9-percent increase in subscribers to 46.9 million.
Year on year, total revenues increased 6.3 percent to $15.5 billion from $14.6 billion a year ago.
“I am delighted by the continued improvement in performance through the third quarter and by the figures that we are announcing today,” commented Sol Trujillo, chief executive officer of Orange. “Net additions of 1.3 million customers and an 8.1-percent hike in revenues in the third quarter highlight that Orange is beginning to accelerate growth, as I believed it could when I became CEO earlier in the year.”
Orange said it plans to meet its 2003 financial targets of revenue growth of at least 5 percent compared with 2002 figures and operating income before depreciation and amortization of at least $7.4 billion.
The operator said it plans to use several new metrics to gauge its performance going forward, including average revenue per customer for non-voice, rates of uptake and usage of services, and rates of uptake and usage of personalization.
In addition, the company said a series of initiatives intended to make it easy to access new compelling, personalized Orange services and increase adoption will launch next week in the United Kingdom and France and across other countries in the first quarter of 2004.
