By KYIV. Nov 9 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The mobile operator PJSC VF Ukraine (TM Vodafone Ukraine) saw UAH 3.807 billion in net profit in January-September 2023, while the company ended the same period last year with a net loss of UAH 620 million, according to the company’s report in Wednesday.
“The seven times increase of the indicator is due to a decrease in losses from exchange rate differences as a result of the NBU’s currency policy,” the company said.
According to the report, revenue and OIBDA of VF Ukraine for January-September of this year grew by 8% compared to the same period last year, to UAH 15.9 billion and UAH 9.05 billion, respectively, and the growth was achieved mainly due to increased sales of data and voice mobile services.
The company increased capital investments by 86%, to UAH 3.778 billion.
According to the report, in August 2023, VF Ukraine paid UAH 1.81 billion as part of dividend payments.
The company’s net debt at the end of September this year, the company’s free cash and deposits amounted to UAH 7.23 billion, and net debt – UAH 11.78 billion.
According to the report, ARPU increased over the year from UAH 92.8 to UAH 112.4 due to an increase in the volume of mobile Internet use and the number of users.
Compared to the previous quarter of 2023, the customer base remained stable – 15.2 million, but over the year it decreased by 0.6 million. The decrease is due to a decrease in the number of mobile communication users as a result of active hostilities, unavailability of mobile communication networks in temporarily occupied territories and in the zone of hostilities, and mass migration.
According to the press release, Vodafone also focuses on developing its fixed business. In the third quarter of 2023, the Vodafone group completed the acquisition of Freenet with 163,000 subscribers, which provides fixed internet access services under the O3 brand. The group is actively developing the previously acquired asset – Vega. Its total subscriber base already exceeds 200,000, providing a fixed-line market share in the country of about 3%.The priority for development is GPON technology, so the company is actively expanding its coverage. Since the beginning of 2023, the GPON network has already covered 2,273 houses with the ability to connect 322,000 apartments and offices, and in September 2023 the company connected 130% more fixed-line subscribers than in September 2022.
Taking into account the purchase of batteries, generators, fuel, the construction of new GPON zones, modernization and restoration of equipment and networks since the beginning of the hostile invasion, the company has already invested more than UAH 245 million in the stability of its fixed network.
Vodafone Ukraine provides high-speed Internet services 3G and 4G and fixed-line communications, mobile communications and develops the Internet of Things (IoT), technologies and solutions for Smart City, analysis of large volumes of data, financial and technological services, and cloud services. Since 2019, the company has been part of the NEQSOL Holding group of companies of businessman Nasib Hasanov.
NEQSOL Holding’s activities include oil and gas, telecommunications, construction and other high-tech sectors in the UK, the United States, Türkiye, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, UAE, and Bangladesh. The group entered the telecommunications field in the early 2000s.
