Turk Telekom upgrades VDSL2 speed (Turkey)
Turkey’s largest broadband provider by subscribers, Turk Telekom has started offering speeds of 50Mbps and 100Mbps to subscribers using VDSL2 technology, while customers of Turk Telekom’s ADSL2+ services can now achieve speeds of up to 16Mbps.
Data volume quotas have also been increased. The operator confirmed that its fibre-optic network has now reached 128,000km, a 30% increase since 2006.
Turk Telekom fined US$229.8 million for tax irregularities
Turkish fixed-line operator, Turk Telekom has been fined worth US$229.8 million. According to the Ihlas News Agency (IHA), the company is fined for alleged tax irregularities between 2005 and 2008.
According to the company, it will explore all legal options, including a settlement. Turk Telekom shares were 1.6% lower, under-performing a 0.04% drop in the broader market.
Turk Telekom is a leading communication and a convergence technology Company in Turkey, providing integrated telecommunication services from PSTN and GSM to broadband internet. As of June 30, 2010; Turk Telekom group companies have 16.3 million Fixed Access Lines, 6.5 million ADSL Connections and 11.5 million Mobile Subscribers.
Turkey’s telecoms regulator approves Telekom’s acquisition deal
Turkish telecoms regulator, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA) has approved Turk Telekom’s acquisition of units of European data capacity firm Invitel, part of Turk Telekom’s drive to invest in its higher yielding data services business.
The acquisition is part of Turk Telekom’s drive to increase its presence in the lucrative data services market. Turk Telekom first announced the planned acquisition in May.
According to the firm, Turk Telekom will start all the necessary procedures, and the acquisition process will be finished within the shortest time. Invitel is presently owned by private equity firm Mid Europa.
Turk Telecom takes control over 100% of Invitel International
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 100% of Invitel International has been bought by Turk Telekom in a EUR197 million (USD243 million) deal. Invitel International is a central and south European wholesale and data services provider.
The cash deal is hoped to help the operator to capitalize on its strategic position, sitting as it does at the gateway between Europe and Asia. As a result of the deal Hungarian altnet Invitel Holdings will offload its international wholesale business in order to focus on its domestic retail business in Hungary. Denmark’s TDC sold Invitel to the private equity firm Mid Europa Capital in 2009.
In other results of the deal, 27,000km fibre-optic network will be controlled by the Turk incumbent along with a network of operations in 16 countries, and Invitel International subsidiaries AT-Invitel (Germany), Invitel International Hungary and EuroWeb Romania. Currenlty, Invitel International is worth EUR221 million.
Turk Telekom to buy Invitel wholesale business
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: An exclusive negotiation has been started between Saudi Oger-controlled operator Turk Telekom and Invitel Holdings on the acquisition of the Invitel international wholesale business.
Invitel comprises of holding unit along with subsidiaries such as AT-Invitel, Invitel International Hungary and EuroWeb Romania. The talk to buy the Invitel business has been confirmed by Turk Telekom. However, the deal will have to wait for regulatory approval. Invitel has a presence in 16 countries and it is a provider of wholesale data and capacity services in Central and South-Eastern Europe.
Based in Hungary, Invitel was acquired late last year by Mid Europe Partners from Danish operator TDC.
Turk Telecom posts 88% rise in net profit
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 88% rise in first quarter net profit has been reported by Turk Telekom to TRL546 million (USD365.5 million). However, it has also warned that growth would be below a 5% target this year due to mobile pricing.
3% rise in sales on the first quarter reaching TRL2.58 billion has been in line with forecasts. Pricing pressures in the mobile market has been cited as a major reason of concern this year.
According to the company, the macro-economic situation of Turkey is improving with some GDP growth expected and
Turk Telekom is very well positioned to grow its consolidated revenue but the growth is likely to be less than 5% this year, given uncertainty over price recovery in mobile.
Turk Telecom posts 88% rise in net profit
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 88% rise in first quarter net profit has been reported by Turk Telekom to TRL546 million (USD365.5 million). However, it has also warned that growth would be below a 5% target this year due to mobile pricing.
3% rise in sales on the first quarter reaching TRL2.58 billion has been in line with forecasts. Pricing pressures in the mobile market has been cited as a major reason of concern this year.
According to the company, the macro-economic situation of Turkey is improving with some GDP growth expected and Turk Telekom is very well positioned to grow its consolidated revenue but the growth is likely to be less than 5% this year, given uncertainty over price recovery in mobile.
Oger to pay 20% premium for Turk Telecom
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: In order to secure the divested shares in fixed line incumbent Turk Telekom (TT) should the government choose to sell part of its stake this year, 20% premium would be paid by Dubai-based Oger Telecom.
Communications Minister Binali Yildirim revealed that the government was considering a second public offering to sell part of its remaining 31.7% stake in the operator. The state is expected to float a 15%-20% stake via the public offering if it decides to go ahead with sale.
Oger already holds a 55.8% stake in the operator, having paid USD6.55 billion for the stake in a 2005 privatization.
Turk Telekom’s net profit rises 4.6% year-on-year
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: 4.6% year-on-year rise in net profit from TRY1.75 billion (USD1.16 billion) in FY2008, to TRY1.83 billion has been announced by Turk Telecom, for the year ended December 31, 2009.
Revenues for the period increased 3.7% to TRY10.57 billion in 2009, rising from TRY10.19 billion a year earlier. Operating expenses grew by 8% year-on-year while CAPEX jumped by 40.7%, up to TRY6.3 billion and TRY2.47 billion respectively.
According to Paul Doany, CEO of Turk Telekom, in 2009 the primary focus for Turk Telekom Group was improving the basic communication infrastructure to launch an 8Mbps standard speed internet service across the whole of Turkey and over the next year the firm will continue to add more innovative services and offerings, such as IPTV, and add more focus to the exporting of the services and products.
Avea, the mobile arm of the company, posted revenues of TRY2.5 billion for the year ended December 31, 2009, up from TRY2.11 billion in 2008
Sale in Turk telecom expected on 2010
www.WirelessFederation.com/news: To sell the remaining 31.7% stake in incumbent fixed line operator Turk Telekom (TT), a second public offering this year could be held by Turkish government. 15% stake in TT was offloaded via an initial public offering (IPO) in May 2008, raising around TRY2.42 billion (USD1.9 billion) for state coffers.
Earlier, country’s privatisation administration denied that it had started preparations for a TT stake sale. The administration has a revenue target of TRY10.4 billion for 2010 and is overseeing sales of electricity and gas grids, roads and sugar factories.
According to Turkish Communications Minister Binali Yildirim, privatisation administration is working on public offering and the situation on the stock exchange and global financial markets will determine the timing which could be in 2010. Further investments will determine the size of the public offering.
