Sweden-based Tele2 Group has reported Q3 2017 net sales of SEK7.54 billion (USD925.0 million), up 13% from SEK6.67 billion in the year-ago period. The company attributes the growth to the inclusion of TDC in Sweden and strong mobile end-user service revenue growth in its Netherlands, Kazakhstan and Baltic markets. EBITDA also rose from SEK1.52 billion in the third quarter of 2016 to SEK1.85 billion one year on, again due to impressive performance in the markets mentioned above, as well as TDC Sweden’s inclusion. Net profit stood at SEK512 million in Q3 2017 after the company recorded net losses of SEK2.27 billion in the third quarter of the previous year.
In operational terms Tele2 counted 16.92 million customers across its eight markets: Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Croatia and Germany, with this figure increasing from 16.33 million subscribers in the corresponding year-ago period. Net intake of mobile customers amounted to 216,000, driven particularly by increases in the Netherlands, Kazakhstan and Croatia. Tele2’s fixed broadband user base declined by 12,000 year-on-year to stand at 422,000 at 30 September 2017, while fixed telephony subscribers decreased in line with market trends to total 372,000 in the third quarter of 2017.