SAN ANTONIO -- SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE: SBC - News) today reported first-quarter results driven by solid progress in its wireline operations, including its best-ever growth in DSL lines, and continued strong subscriber growth at Cingular Wireless, the United States' largest wireless provider.
SBC's first-quarter 2005 revenues increased 2.4 percent to $10.2 billion, with wireline revenues up 2.8 percent and consumer wireline revenues up 3.9 percent, marking SBC's fourth consecutive quarter of positive revenue growth. Earnings were $885 million, or $0.27 per diluted share on a reported basis, and $1.1 billion, or $0.34 per diluted share before merger-related expenses at Cingular Wireless, which is 60 percent owned by SBC.
"We have begun 2005 with good momentum," said Edward E. Whitacre Jr., SBC chairman and chief executive officer. "Cingular Wireless is doing an outstanding job of winning customers and integrating operations. We have taken DSL growth to a new level. Customers appreciate our long distance and bundled service offerings, and our penetration rates continue to grow. And in the first quarter, we achieved improved retail line results in both consumer and business markets.
"Most important, after adjusting for Cingular's merger costs and the impact of asset sales last year, our earnings were up from comparable results a year ago," Whitacre said. "This demonstrates SBC's ability to execute, generate solid bottom-line results and deliver value to stockholders while we invest in major initiatives to transform and grow our business.
"Through Project Lightspeed, we are building a new generation of integrated digital video, data and voice services," Whitacre said.
"And through our planned acquisition of AT&T, we will create a premier provider with outstanding network capabilities, global reach and advanced product sets, including IP-based services. Approval processes for this transaction are moving forward, and we have launched teams to begin, consistent with applicable legal requirements, initial integration planning using many of the approaches that proved successful in Cingular's preparation for integration with AT&T Wireless."
SBC Communications Inc.