Orange's Polish unit maintains guidance as it delivers Q3 profit

Orange Polska SA

23/10/2023 17:45

GDANSK, Oct 23 (Reuters) - The Polish arm of telecoms
firm Orange  ORAN.PA  on Monday maintained its full-year
guidance for revenue and core earnings after reporting a
slightly better-than-expected 23% rise in third-quarter net
profit to 237 million zlotys ($56.43 million). 
    Third-quarter revenue fell 3% to 3.12 billion zlotys, while
earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation
after leases (EBITDAaL) climbed 2.3% to 841 million zlotys. 
    The results were driven by the "resilience of core telecom
services to a difficult macro environment and intense
competition", Orange Polska  OPL.WA  CEO Liudmila Climoc said in
a company press release.
   "Customer net additions in all key services were higher than
in the previous quarter, and ARPO growth was maintained at the
solid level of 3-4% year-on-year," Climoc said, referring to
average revenue per offer.  
    "Following robust growth in the first half of the year, the
performance of our ICT (information and communications
technology) business in the third quarter reflected a slowdown
in market demand," she added.
    Orange Polska also announced it had obtained a 5G C-band
license.
    "It is a milestone for our business, unlocking new service
opportunities for our customers and significantly improving the
capacity of our mobile networks," said the CEO.
    "It is also essential for the overall Polish economy, as
digitisation is an important contributor to growth of GDP."
    The company will now focus on investing in network
development to offer the service to its customers as quickly as
possible, Climoc said.
    ($1 = 4.2001 zlotys)

 (Reporting by Marta Maciag; Editing by Jan Harvey)
 ((Mateusz.Rabiega@thomsonreuters.com; +48 58 769 67 57;))