Telecoms giant BT posted a five per cent annual rise in turnover for its fiscal third quarter as its traditional consumer voice business returned to form.
Turnover for the three months to the end of December hit £5.13bn as BT’s active consumer customer base grew for the first time in four years.
Profits before tax, specific items and leaver costs rose 13 per cent year-on-year to £643m.
The carrier’s new wave business, which largely consists of networked IT services and broadband, also performed strongly, growing 17 per cent year-on-year to £1.88bn.
New wave revenues now contribute 37 per cent of the total, up from 33 per cent a year ago.
BT’s Global Services wing endured a more mixed quarter as UK traditional
revenues - marred by lower voice related and dial IP sales - dropped back six
per cent annually.
However, total sales for the unit increased four per cent to £2.29bn, and BT
also pointed to a strong pipeline of networked IT services contract orders -
which stood at £1.5bn in the quarter compared to £1.2bn a year previously.
The carrier, which last month launched a new broadband package for SMBs, (CRN, 26 January) revealed that turnover from smaller and medium sized UK businesses grew by three per cent year on year.
Ben Verwaayen, chief executive at BT, said: “This is another strong set of results; our strategy is delivering and the positive trends are gathering momentum.
“The revenue growth of five per cent reflects continued strong growth in new wave services and a robust defence of our traditional business," he added.
Further reading:
Latest BT bundle could ‘tread on channel toes’
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