NEW YORK-Paris-based France Telecom Group reported Sept. 17 that its Itineris Global System for Mobile communications customers totaled 4.26 million at the end of August, giving it a 51-percent market share.
The carrier said its cellular customer base doubled between June 30, 1997, and June 30, 1998. It now projects it will reach its Year 2000 target of 5 million subscribers by the end of this year.
Paging customers for its Expresso, Tatoo and other branded services also increased sharply, to 1.58 million from 1.03 million.
In its half-year earnings report, France Telecom said it realized $13.69 billion in revenues, up 3.5 percent over the first six months of 1997.
“The share of fixed telephony revenues continued to decrease (to) 59.4 percent at June 30 compared [with] 65.1 percent a year before, mainly in favor of wireless (communications, which accounted for) 13.7 percent of consolidated revenues vs. 9.6 percent the previous year.”
The carrier reported “strong growth in international wireless networks … primarily in Europe,” generated revenues of $983.92 million during the first half of Fiscal 1998, up from $720.37 million the year-ago half. Wireless revenues outside France grew by 36.7 percent.
“This period ending June 30 was marked by the acquisition of CI Telecom, a wireless operator in Cote d’Ivoire, (the acquisition of) Casema BV and by the deconsolidation of Cellway (Martin Dawes) in Germany,” France Telecom said.
Capital expenditures during the first six months of 1998 increased by 31 percent to $2.67 billion vs. the same period of 1997. This total included “building new (wireless) networks in Romania, Slovakia and Denmark and the acquisition of a cellular license in the Netherlands through France Telecom’s Dutch Tone subsidiary,” the company said.
Partly as a result of these investments, France Telecom reported that its first-half 1998 consolidated net income was $1.33 billion, down from $1.56 billion for the first half of last year.
