Telecom company VodafoneZiggo announced today that it is pleased with the solid results of the third quarter. Revenue increased by 1% and operating results (EBITDA) by 1.3%. The company is on course to achieve its financial objectives for 2022.
VodafoneZiggo’s revenue growth is partially driven by the increased ARPU (Average Revenue Per User). The increase in operating results is due to strict cost discipline.
The growth in the number of mobile and business customers continued in the last quarter while there was only a minimal decline in the number of internet customers. The number of ‘converged customers’ who use both TV/internet and mobile telephony from VodafoneZiggo also grew again this quarter.
Third quarter key figures
- Mobile revenue grew by 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. The total number of SIM cards (including post-paid) increased by 67,000, of which 30,000 were for business customers.
- The revenue in this segment rose by 6.3% for the seventh quarter in a row.
- The total number of internet customers is relatively stable at 3.3 million; 9,300 less than the previous quarter. The total number of business internet customers rose for the 23rd quarter in a row by 6,100. The number of VodafoneZiggo internet customers in the consumer market fell by 15,400 due to increased competition.
- The number of ‘converged’ clients who combine products and services from Vodafone and Ziggo increased again in the third quarter. The number of Ziggo customers who also have a mobile account increased by 11,100 to a total of 1.5 million. The number of mobile customers with Vodafone or Hollandsnieuwe with a Ziggo landline increased by 24,300 to a total of 2.5 million.
Exceptional times
Ritchy Drost, CFO of VodafoneZiggo: “We live in exceptional economic times, with high inflation, rising energy costs and a tight labour market. Despite this, we were able to keep the total costs under control. All in all, we can look back at the previous quarter with satisfaction and we can look forward to the last quarter of 2022 with confidence.”
One gigabit speeds in the whole of the Netherlands
In the third quarter, VodafoneZiggo made it possible for 500,000 households to achieve download speeds of one gigabit per second via its fixed network. Roermond and Gorinchem were also recently added, meaning that 93% of our network is already suitable for gigabit speeds. The telecom company expects that that will be 100% in December.
Next Mini
VodafoneZiggo launched a new, innovative mediabox last April: the Next Mini. This sustainable and energy-efficient mediabox is very popular amongst our customers and has been available with all our packages. The introduction is going very well: VodafoneZiggo expects to pass the 400,000 customer mark with the Next Mini before the end of 2022.
SmartWifi
As well as investing in the Next Mini, VodafoneZiggo is also continuing to invest in supplying fast and stable internet connections throughout the home and in the office. For more than two years, the company has been supplying Smart WiFi pods and more than 1.5 million customers now use these pods to improve their WiFi signal, 100,000 more than the previous quarter. To help customers get the most out of their WiFi, there is the special 24/7 Wifi Crew and SmartWifi app.
Recent operational highlights
- VodafoneZiggo introduced a free teaching module at the start of October for pupils in special secondary education (voortgezet speciaal onderwijs, VSO). This new module aims to improve the digital skills of young people in special education between the ages of 12 and 18 and is part of the broader teaching programme Online Masters for pupils in primary and secondary education. More information >
- At the end of September, VodafoneZiggo was awarded a gold medal in EcoVadis’ most recent assessment. VodafoneZiggo now belongs to the top 5% of companies in the world that perform best in the area of sustainability and corporate social responsibility. More information > [Dutch]
- Reserving part of the public mobile network. This has been possible for companies and organisations since mid-September. VodafoneZiggo was the first Dutch telecom company to introduce Network Slicing. It ensures that there is always sufficient capacity for business-critical applications, even if it is busy on the mobile network. More information >
- When they have to undertake maintenance in the city, Ziggo technicians will now use the electric StapStep for the last few kilometres. The company announced at the end of August that it was starting a pilot in five large cities. This makes VodafoneZiggo the first Dutch telecoms organisation to opt for the electric scooter as sustainable transport. More information >
