DIGICEL GROUP ANNOUNCES 16% REVENUE GROWTH IN ITS FIRST HALF RESULTS

December 2nd 2011 - DIGICEL GROUP ANNOUNCES 16% REVENUE GROWTH IN ITS FIRST HALF RESULTS

DIGICEL GROUP ANNOUNCES 16% REVENUE GROWTH IN ITS FIRST HALF RESULTS

 

Friday, 2nd December, 2011 – Kingston, Jamaica. Digicel, the best value mobile operator in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific today reported strong financial performance for the six months ended September 30, 2011.

Digicel Group Limited – which comprises the 30 markets of the Caribbean, El Salvador and the Pacific – reported revenues up 16% year on year to US$1.24 billion for the first half of the fiscal year. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) was up 15% year on year to US$524 million for the six month period with the most recent quarter contributing US$270 million EBITDA.

With subscribers up 14% year on year to 11.1 million across Digicel’s 30 markets worldwide, performance has been strong across the board with revenue growth in all of Digicel’s major markets including El Salvador, French West Indies, Haiti, Jamaica, Papua New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago. Haiti in particular experienced rapid growth adding 830,000 new subscribers in the first six months of the financial year. Revenue earned from value-added-services like web browsing and messaging, was up 47% year on year, helped by strong demand for smartphones. Digicel has also signed an agreement to extend and upsize its senior credit facility, which will see $282 million new funds committed.

Digicel Group CEO, Colm Delves, comments; “Our latest set of financial results reflect Digicel’s ongoing strong growth and outperformance of our industry peers. I am pleased to report that we have seen growth across the board and are also continuing to diversify our revenue mix with significant increases in value added services.

He continues; “The refinancing of our senior credit facility was well supported and provides us with further balance sheet flexibility. I would like to thank our customers and staff for their ongoing commitment to Digicel and to assure them of our continued focus on delivering best value, best service and best network – and to giving back to our communities.”

Key achievements in the period include:

·         Launch of 4G services based on HSPA+ technology across the Cayman Islands and the Dutch Caribbean (Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao) – with further markets planned

 

·         Successful execution of the Haiti expansion strategy with a total of over 3.4 million subscribers at 30th September 2011

 

·         Launch of our “Cellmoni” mobile money service in Papua New Guinea

 

 

·         Sale of Digicel Honduras to America Movil, and the acquisition of their Claro Jamaica business (which closed after the half year end on November 30, 2011)

 

ENDS


About Digicel


After ten years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has 11.1 million customers across its 30 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Cup. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

In 2004, Digicel developed Digicel Rising Stars – an annual talent show to support aspiring young music artists in the Caribbean. The show has spanned the Eastern Caribbean, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago ranking as one of the top-rated shows.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, , Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit
www.digicelgroup.com for more information.