Quarterly Statistics
July 13 2000 - 3:00AM
UK Regulatory
RNS Number:7941N
Atlantic Telecom Group PLC
13 July 2000
ATLANTIC TELECOM GROUP PLC
STATISTICS FOR THE QUARTER ENDED 30 JUNE 2000 INCORPORATING FIRST TELECOM
Atlantic Telecom Group PLC ("Atlantic"), the innovative provider of high
quality, value-added telecommunications services, today reports its
telecommunications operating statistics for its first quarter, ended 30 June
2000. These incorporate the operating statistics for First Telecom Group
PLC, which was acquired by Atlantic on 8 June 2000.
Group Highlights
- Acquisition of First Telecom ratified by shareholders on 8 June 2000
- SDSL direct services launched in Frankfurt on 21 June 2000
- SME strategy announced during the quarter, which involves an acceleration
of the network build and a concentration of capital on the important SME
areas over a wider geographic region
- Introduction of new Management Board and enhanced PLC Board to reflect
the increased size of the Group
- Launch of first phase of network in Manchester on track for later this
month
- Implementation of national network also on track with expected completion
by calendar year end
Operational Highlights
- Total lines installed and pending installation at 30 June 2000 total
402,175. This compares to total lines of 98,272 at 31 March 2000. In
addition, at 30 June 2000, the group has 149,132 active call-by-call
customers in Germany, a figure that due to the nature of this service
can vary significantly month by month. The increase incorporates the
lines for First Telecom, following the acquisition of that company
- Directly connected lines rise strongly to 58,309, an increase of 6,350
in the quarter, ahead of the rise in the equivalent period last year
- Penetration of customers on our direct networks continues to climb and
has reached 4.8% in the business market and 3.6% in the residential
market
- Churn remains well within budgeted levels with churn at 18.82% in the
business market and 14.86% in the residential market, both on an
annualised basis
- The average lines per directly connected business customer continue to
show growth
Graham J. Duncan, Executive Chairman of Atlantic Telecom, commented:
"Once again, the past quarter has shown significant growth, both in terms of
operating data and the excellent start to the integration of First Telecom
with Atlantic.
With services launched in Frankfurt and our service about to be launched in
Manchester, we look forward to continuing to grow our directly connected
customer base, while concentrating our capital resources on the important SME
market.
The First Telecom transaction has given Atlantic much improved scale and a
wider geographic reach, as can be seen from the total line count, which has
shown a four-fold increase in the period. The indirect customer base gives us
future opportunity to directly connect at least some of these customers as
our direct networks expand.
We continue to develop our portfolio of technologies with an eye to our
overall strategy which positions Atlantic to be a premier provider of directly
connected services to targeted sectors of the European marketplace always
seeking to directly connect the customer to our infrastructure in the
so-called last mile. The launch, during the quarter, of broadband directly
connected services in Glasgow, using a high speed wireless connection
operating at up to 2.4Mbs, and in Frankfurt using SDSL technology operating up
to 2.3Mbs, is a milestone and a testimony to this strategy."
For further information please contact:
Graham J. Duncan, Atlantic Telecom Tel: 01224 454000
Susy Atkinson, Atlantic Telecom Tel: 01224 454000
Sara Thomas, Citigate Dewe Rogerson Tel: 020 7638 9571
Notes
"SDSL" (symmetrical digital subscriber line) is a technology that enhances the
speed of transmission within a copper pair telephone line. The technology, as
configured by Atlantic, allows two-way symmetrical transmission speeds of up
to 2.3Mbs, over 40 times faster than conventional dial up modems and enables
"always-on access" to the Internet. The technology is similar to ADSL
(asymmetric DSL) but ADSL has a restricted reverse speed capability and is
less suited to the business market. The technology is co-located in the local
telephone exchanges of the incumbent operator, capitalising on licence
obligations of these operators requiring them to unbundle the local loop.
"SME" is a short form for small and medium sized enterprises, or businesses.
Typically it means businesses with less than 200 lines.
ATLANTIC TELECOM GROUP PLC
Certain Operating Data
The following table sets forth certain data concerning the Group's
telecommunications operations as of and for the three-month period ended 30
June 2000, the twelve-month period ended 31 March 2000, and for the nine-month
period ended 31 December 1999.
As of and for the periods ended
31 December, 31 March, 30 June,
1999 2000 2000
Direct Telecommunications
Business Customer Data
Estimated business premises passed (1) 38,321 41,921 43,196
Business customers (2) 1,834 1,959 2,073
Business customer lines (2) 6,537 7,276 7,813
Penetration rate of estimated business
premises passed (3) 4.8% 4.7% 4.8%
Average lines per business customer(4) 3.56 3.71 3.77
Business customer churn (5) 15.17% 16.87% 18.82%
Residential Customer Data
Estimated residential homes passed (1) 639,693 693,804 716,217
Residential customers (2) 18,976 22,435 25,401
Residential customer lines (2) 37,710 44,683 50,496
Penetration rate of estimated
residential homes passed (3) 3.0% 3.2% 3.6%
Average lines per residential
customer (4) 1.99 1.99 1.99
Residential customer churn (5) 14.15% 16.77% 14.86%
Network Data
Number of active base stations 122 133 136
Operational co-locations n/a n/a 7
Indirect Telecommunications
Business customers (2) 1,042 1,054 11,693
Business customer lines (2) 20,984 21,360 83,839
Average lines per business customer (4) 20.14 20.27 7.17
Residential customers (2) 24,642 24,816 259,922
Residential customer lines (2) 24,749 24,953 260,027
Average lines per residential customer (4) 1.00 1.01 1.00
TOTAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS LINES 89,980 98,272 402,175
Call by Call Telecommunications
Active customers (7) 0 0 149,132
(1) Estimated homes passed or estimated business premises passed is the
Company's estimate of the residential homes or business premises seen
by the direct networks which are capable of connection to a base station
or to a fibre network excluding certain multiple dwelling units which the
Company does not presently serve.
(2) Residential or business customers or residential or business customer
lines represent the number of customers or lines which are connected and
in service, the number of customers or lines for which customers, where
applicable, have contracted for service but are not yet connected and the
number of customers or lines where service has been suspended but the
customers or lines have not yet been disconnected.
(3) Penetration rate of estimated homes or estimated business premises
passed is calculated by dividing the number of residential customers or
business customers on the given date by the estimated homes or estimated
business premises passed as of such date, expressed as a percentage.
(4) The average lines per customer is calculated by dividing the number of
lines on a given date by the number of customers on that date.
(5) Churn is calculated by dividing net disconnections (total disconnections
less the number of disconnected accounts for which service is later
restored and disconnections for customers moving premises and reconnecting
at their new premises) in a period by the average number of customers in
the period (calculated as the simple average of the number of customers at
the end of each month during the period.) Churn is expressed on a rolling
twelve-month basis, meaning that the churn is calculated over the twelve
months ended on 31 December 1999, 31 March 2000 and 30 June 2000.
(6) Some of the customer and customer line numbers for First Telecom are
estimated at 30 June 2000, and based on the actual figures at 31 May 2000.
(7) Customers who use the service on an individual call basis at some point
during the quarter.
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