Milan, Jan. 18, 2001 - e.Biscom SpA (Milan's Nuovo Mercato: EBI), a leading Italian developer and operator of telecommunications, Internet and media-related services, today announced better-than-expected, full-year 2000 consolidated revenues of Euro 42.4 million (ITL 82.0 billion). Since e.Biscom started commercial operations just last spring, there is no year-comparable figure.
The overwhelming success of FastWeb SpA, Italy's largest broadband telecommunications services company controlled by e.Biscom, strongly contributed to the greater-than-forecast results.
FastWeb has seen outstanding growth in its corporate business, which accounted for more than 95 percent of its 2000 revenues. During the fourth quarter last year, FastWeb launched its residential service -- six months ahead of schedule.
The broadband telecommunications company, which became operational only in March 2000, signed-up more than 5,300 clients and made its service available to over 5,500 buildings in the greater Milan area by year-end. Its network is accessible to approximately 70,000 homes.
FastWeb's metropolitan infrastructure spans nearly 1,200 kilometers, and the company has a backbone infrastructure in place which connects northern and central Italy.
e.Biscom's German subsidiary HanseNet Telekommunikation GmbH showed a particularly strong performance since e.Biscom took a controlling stake in the Hamburg-based telecommunications company in October 2000. Nearly 40 percent of HanseNet's revenues were made in the October-December period of last year, and full-year 2000 revenues amounted to Euro 44.4 million thanks to its 1,800 kilometers of infrastructure in place.
"We revised our year-end projections in July after the March IPO to make them more aggressive," said Silvio Scaglia, e.Biscom Chief Executive Officer. "And we even beat the July projections in terms of revenues, network and client numbers, demonstrating the credibility of e.Biscom and the growth potential of broadband communication services not only in Italy but also in a technologically-advanced country like Germany."
e.Biscom SpA
e.Biscom is a developer and operator of telecommunications, Internet and mediarelated ventures. The company was launched in September 1999 by a group of Italian managers with a significant track record in the establishment and management of major telecommunications projects and successful start-ups, both in Italy and abroad. e.Biscom aims to leverage the unique skills of its team in the management of integrated IP networks and in the development and provisioning of broadband services and innovative Video Internet content, in order to become a leader in Italy, and throughout Europe, of the broadband technological revolution. e.Biscom has been listed on Milan's Nuovo Mercato for high-growth stocks since March 2000 (IPO proceeds: Euro 1.6 billion).