|
|
|
|
 |
| back
to Financial review >> |
|
The group’s wireless
turnover mainly comprises calls charged to and subscriptions from BT Cellnet
customers in the UK. It also includes the turnover of the three major acquired
companies, Esat Digifone in Ireland since its acquisition in March 2000,
Telfort’s mobile activities in The Netherlands since its acquisition in June
2000 and Viag Interkom’s mobile activities in Germany since its acquisition in
February 2001.
Wireless turnover increased
by 27% in the 2001 financial year to £2,760 million, following growth of 55% in
the previous financial year. Over three-quarters of the increase in turnover in
the 2001 financial year was contributed by the three major acquisitions and
nearly half of the increase in turnover in the 2000 financial year was
contributed by the BT Cellnet Lumina and DX Communications businesses acquired
in 1999. Otherwise, the turnover increases in the 2001 and 2000 financial years
reflected the 51% and 64% growth in BT Cellnet’s customer-base in the two
years, respectively, offset by the effect of reductions in mobile call prices.
Nearly 3.8 million new customers were connected to BT Cellnet’s network in the
2001 financial year, following the 2.9 million connected in the 2000 financial
year, substantially due to the success of the “pre-paid” mobile phone
introduced in the second half of the 1999 financial year. BT Cellnet had 11.2
million customer connections at 31 March 2001, of which over two-thirds were on
a pre-paid basis. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
BT Wireless incurred a
total operating loss of £225 million before goodwill amortisation and
exceptional items on total turnover of £3,947 million in the 2001 financial
year. The results reflect the start up losses of the Genie wireless portal
business which amounted to £138 million on turnover of £13 million. The figures
directly reflect the BT Wireless business proposed to be demerged later in
2001. BT Wireless’ results overall were hit by acquisition costs associated
with the record customer growth in BT Cellnet and other operations. Viag
Interkom incurred an operating loss of £41 million before goodwill amortisation
and exceptional items, for BT Wireless, on turnover of £70 million from 20
February 2001, the date of acquisition. The exceptional items attributable to
BT Wireless include £2,800 million of the Viag Interkom goodwill impairment
charge.
|
|
|
|
Back to top
|
|
|
|
