Euronews: EE Sees 4G Take-up Double in Q2

U.K. mobile joint venture EE seems in buoyant mood despite seeing second-quarter service revenues slip 4.4 percent year-on-year to £2.84 billion (US$4.36 billion). The fall was largely attributable to mobile termination rate and roaming cuts, and cost savings translated into a 9.1 percent growth in adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) for the first six months. The operator, which has had a significant head start in the provision of 4G services in the U.K., also pointed to a doubling in 4G take-up in the second quarter as a reason to be cheerful. The operator says it had 687,000 4G customers at the end of June. (See Euronews: 4G Gives EE a Capital Edge, Euronews: EE Reveals 4G Uptake and EE Gets Smart With Its LTE Assets.)

Orange's Polish unit, TPSA, is having a change of leadership following a run of disappointing results, reports Reuters. Maciej Witucki, who has been chief executive for several years, is being replaced by Bruno Duthoit. The operator reported second-quarter net profits down 70 percent year-on-year in its most recent results.

The European Commission has backed down over plans to challenge Hungary's tax on telcos, reports Reuters. An unfavorable ruling by the EU Court of Justice in a similar case in France apparently persuaded the EC to change its mind.

Second-quarter net profits are up 16 percent to 40.4 million Swedish kroner ($6.26 million) at Swedish transport equipment vendor Transmode Systems, with increased business in the Asia/Pacific region partly attributing for the positive trend. (See Hutchison Global Picks Transmode for 100G and Transmode Wins Deal in Malaysia.)

U.K. broadband provider TalkTalk, which last year nailed its colors to the YouView pay-TV platform, added 160,000 YouView customers during its fiscal first quarter, and saw revenue grow 1.7 percent year-on-year to £421 million ($646 million).

— Paul Rainford, Assistant Editor, Europe, Light Reading