DIGICEL GROUP LIMITED ANNNOUNCES ... - Ecayonline.com

DIGICEL GROUP LIMITED ANNNOUNCES STRONG FINANCIAL RESULTS WITHUS$1.1 BILLION EBITDA FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31 MARCH 2012Tuesday 5 th June 2012 – Kingston, Jamaica. Digicel Group Ltd, the best value mobileoperator, today announced a strong set of financial results for the year ended 31 March 2012.With subscribers up 27% to 12.8 million and revenues for Digicel Group Limited (whichcomprises 30 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific) up 14% to US$2.54billion, EBITDA margins remained steady at a robust 45%.The company posted EBITDA of US$1,082 million – up from US$954 million in the previousyear – representing a year on year increase of 13%.Value Added Services and data revenues were up an impressive 47% year on year and nowaccount for 20% of overall service revenues. This growth was supported in part by Digicel’s 4GMobile offering which is now available in 14 markets across the globe (with further rolloutsplanned) and by the rise in smartphone usage. The Diaspora business meanwhile saw itsrevenues grow by 28% year on year.Digicel’s balance sheet and liquidity position has continued to improve with cash reserves ofover US$657 million at 31 March 2012. The Group’s strong financial performance has beenendorsed by ratings agency, Fitch, which in May reaffirmed the Group’s debt rating citing its“strong operational performance”.Commenting on the performance, Digicel Group CEO, Colm Delves, said; “I am pleased toreport that Digicel has closed out another strong year in which, for the first time in our 11 yearhistory, our annual EBITDA was over US$1 billion. With 12.8 million subscribers across 30markets, Digicel has delivered 14% revenue growth placing us at the leading edge ofperformance amongst telecoms operators worldwide.”He continues; “I would like to take this opportunity to thank our customers for their loyalty toDigicel and our partners and staff who always go the extra mile to ensure that our customersbenefit from what we do and how we do it.”

Denis O’Brien, Chairman and Founder of Digicel Group, commented; “The results announcedtoday reflect the continued growth and development of Digicel in the Caribbean, CentralAmerica and Asia Pacific. The success of Digicel is due to the commitment of a very strongmanagement team and workforce whose sole focus is on the highest standards of servicedelivery in all markets.”Key achievements include:Rollout of 4G services based on HSPA+ technology in 14 markets – Aruba, Bonaire andCuracao, Barbados, Cayman Islands, Fiji, Haiti, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa andVanuatuAcquisition of Voila in Haiti and the completion of the acquisition and integration of Claro inJamaicaSpearheading a US$16 million “Fibralink” extension that will connect Haiti to the globaleconomy through broadband services from July 2012Ongoing positive impact on communities by the Digicel Foundations – with a total of US$25million invested in community projects in Haiti in the five years of the Foundation’sexistence and a commitment to building a further 80 schools by the end of 2013, in additionto the existing 70 already opened; the completion of 52 projects in the year which havepositively impacted over 25,000 people in Jamaica and the funding of 53 infrastructureprojects in Papua New Guinea in the year (more than double the previous year).Digicel’s investment across its 30 markets worldwide totals US$4.5 billion and the companyemploys over 4,700 people worldwide.