Eircom reported a 3 per cent rise in third-quarter core earnings today and said it now had 117,000 broadband customers.
Eircom said earnings were €155 million before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation - and before restructuring programme costs, pension amortisation and exceptional operating costs - in the three months to December 31st, against €150 million in the same period a year earlier.
Turnover for the period was flat at €401 million. The former state monopoly said it had made progress on its goal of re-entering the mobile market, but did not give details.
The company said its workforce was reduced by 499 since March 2004 - resulting in an exceptional charge of €57 million.
It has set a target of 500,000 broadband connections by December 2007.