French broadband and mobile operator Iliad, which owns Free and Free Mobile, reported increased revenue and profit in 2013, as it added over 300,000 customers to reach a total of 13.68 million. Consolidated revenue totalled EUR 3.75 billion in 2013, up by 19 percent, mainly thanks to the expansion of the mobile business and, to a lesser extent, to ongoing growth in landline. Group EBITDA grew by over 30 percent to EUR 1.2 billion, with the EBITDA margin widening by almost 3 percentage points to 32 percent. Net profit surged by 42 percent to EUR 265 million in 2013 from EUR 187 million in 2012.
Free Mobile had 8.04 million customers at the end of 2013, compared with 5.21 million a year earlier, and claims an 81 percent share of France’s net add market last year. Mobile revenue rose by 49.5 percent to EUR 1.26 billion. Mobile EBITDA moved from a EUR 46.1 million loss to a EUR 113.5 million profit.
Free had 5.64 million broadband customers at the end of last year, compared with 5.36 million at the end of 2012. It maintained a EUR 36 a month ARPU in broadband generally, and an over EUR 38 a month ARPU for its Freebox Revolution service. Landline revenues increased by 7.6 percent to EUR 2.5 billion and landline EBITDA rose by 12.7 percent to EUR 1.09 billion.
Iliad’s objectives include raising revenue to over EUR 4 billion by 2015 and achieving an over 40 percent consolidated EBITDA margin by the end of the decade. It aims to generate over EUR 700 million of free cash flow from ADSL operations this year. Iliad also expects to deploy over 1,500 mobile sites this year and to cover three-quarters and half of the population with 3G and 4G, respectively, by December.
