SYDNEY, Australia-In a year-end earnings announcement Aug. 12, Australia’s Cable & Wireless Optus reported after-tax profits of $113 million for the fiscal year ended June 30.
“The after-tax profit result is 74 percent higher than the company’s forecast in its prospectus last November,” Optus said.
Chris Anderson, chief executive, said the result was driven by strong growth in two operations-mobile wireless and business network services for large corporations and government agencies. Additionally, the company experienced fast revenue growth in its new services of local telephony, Internet access and pay television.
During the just-completed fiscal year, Optus’ mobile telecommunications customer base increased by 25 percent to 2 million. Of that total, digital subscribers accounted for just over 1.8 million, representing a 51-percent increase from the prior year.
Average revenue per unit declined for the year to $852 from $882 the prior year. Nevertheless, Optus said its overall wireless revenues increased by 12 percent.
However, the carrier did not break out the actual revenues contributed by each of its lines of business to the $3.4 billion total it earned during fiscal year 1999.
