Bell Aliant reports 4Q results

Bell Aliant Regional Communications Income Fund (Bell Aliant) has announced its fourth quarter 2007 financial results. The telco’s operating revenue increased by 2.6% compared to the same period a year earlier to CAD858.7 million (USD860.1 million) due to growth in a range of services including internet access. Internet revenue grew by CAD6.4 million (7.7%) year-on-year, with high speed subscribers increasing by 17.1% from a year earlier. Local and long-distance telephony service revenue declined by CAD8.3 million (2.3%) and CAD2.0 million (1.7%), respectively, over the same period, with the company reporting a decline of 42,282 local access lines in 4Q 2007. Quarterly EBITDA rose 1.7% to CAD370.2 million. CAPEX rose 9.9% to CAD144.1 million, with twelve-month CAPEX reaching CAD543 million, up 4.9% on the year before on a pro forma basis. The BCE subsidiary completed its accelerated rollout of fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) broadband technology in the fourth quarter of 2007, bringing the total number of homes passed to 188,000 at the end of December. Bell Aliant, formed in July 2006, combines the former wireline operations of Aliant in Atlantic Canada, Bell Canada’s former wireline operation in several territories in Ontario and Quebec, as well as the fixed and mobile operations of Telebec and NorthernTel.