EE reported total network connections of 31.5 million at end-2015, up 1.8 percent from 30.9 million a year earlier, with 4G customers almost doubling to 14 million. Post-paid customer net additions reached 141,000 in Q4 2015, with post-paid churn remaining low at 1.1 percent for 2015. 4G coverage reached 95 percent, with the total number of 4G corporate accounts up 30 percent year-on-year to over 9,100.
Adjusted EBITDA was up 12.1 percent year-on-year to GBP 1.78 billion in 2015, a margin of 28.2 percent, due to a favourable trading mix. Operating revenue for 2015 was steady at just over GBP 6 billion, with underlying revenues up 1.1 percent year-on-year but down 0.6 percent when regulatory impact is included. EE expects increased regulatory pressures through 2016, with higher spectrum licence fees as well as reduced roaming rates and mobile termination rates all expected to impact financials from 2016 and beyond.
Total turnover for 2015 was GBP 6.31 billion, down 0.3 percent, with mobile service revenue down 1.9 percent to GBP 5.51 billion, from GBP 5.62 billion in 2014. Total post-paid mobile connections reached 15.34 million in Q4 2015, up 1.8 percent from 14.90 million in Q4 2014. The pre-paid base was down 7.6 percent year-on-year to 8.85 million, from 9.57 million.
M2M connections were up 13.4 percent to 2.17 million in Q4, from 1.92 million a year earlier, with MVNO connections on the EE network up 12.8 percent to 4.19 million, from 3.71 million. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for mobile customers was GBP 19 in Q4, down 1 percent from GBP 19.20 in Q4 2014.
Post-paid mobile ARPU was GBP 27.50 in Q4, down 4.2 percent from GBP 28.70 a year earlier, with pre-paid mobile ARPU down 4.4 percent to GBP 4.30, from GBP 4.50. EE added 6,000 net fixed broadband customers in Q4 2015, compared to net additions of 41,000 in Q4 2014, to end the year with a total of 933,000 fixed broadband connections, up 11.9 percent from 834,000 a year earlier.
