Mobile operator O2 Ireland has reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of €114m for the six months to the end of September, up 22% on the same period last year.
Operating profits before exceptional items grew from €47m to €62m. The company's third generation mobile licence will cost €114m. Excluding this capital expenditure fell from €71m to €42m.
Customer numbers in Ireland increased by 37,000 in the second quarter, bringing total customer numbers to just under 1.2 million, of which 30% were contract customers.
Average revenue per user for prepaid customers rose from €329 to €333, while the figure for contract customers moved up from €1,002 to €1,015. Data accounted for 14.1% of revenue, up from 11.7% in the first quarter. Chief executive Danuta Graytold RTE radio text messaging in Ireland was up 14% on last year.
O2's parent company, mmO2, beat analysts' forecasts with an EBITDA profit of £378m in the first half, compared with £135m in the same period last year.
The company slashed capital expenditure from £427m from £623m and increased its customer base by 9% to 18.3 million. Its German division reported a profit for the first time. Net losses fell by 28% to £277m.
