Twenty-first consecutive quarter of growth for Fastweb. Thanks to the rising number of customers, revenues and margins, Fastweb consolidates its position in the Italian broadband and fixed-mobile convergence market.
Wireline broadband customers continued to increase as Fastweb added 18 thousand new customers in Q3, thus bringing the customer base to 2.518 thousand (+4% on previous year). Revenues in the first 9 months 2018 totaled Euro 1.516 million, up +7% year on year on a comparable basis.
EBITDA (earnings before interest depreciation and amortisation) at September 30, 2018 totaled Euro 483 million, up 5% on the previous year on a comparable basis.
The market keeps rewarding Fastweb strategy based on continuous innovation, a commercial proposition based on clear and transparent offers and the elimination of all "hidden costs" in both mobile and wireline telephony.
Fastweb keeps pursuing its industrial infrastructure-based strategy with the aim of offering the most performing indoor and outdoor connectivity to its customers. The plan to expand Fastweb ultrabroadband network – that at September 30 was already covering 21 million households of which 8 million with a proprietary infrastructure – foresees to reach an overall footprint of 22 million households by year end.
Fastweb confirms its leadership in terms of CAPEX/sales ratio: engagement in the expansion of ultra-broadband coverage, in the deployment of an extensive Wi-Fi network for the major Italian cities – which will be a stepping stone for the roll-out of 5G - and in 5G trials under way in Bari, Matera, Rome and Genova pushed CAPEX in the quarter to Euro 432 million – 28% of its revenues. It's an unparalleled figure in the Italian and European telecommunications landscape confirming the steady commitment of Fastweb in the deployment of strategic infrastructures in the country.
Fastweb market share in the ultrabroadband connectivity market keeps growing as well. On September 30, broadband customers with FTTx connectivity between 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps totaled 1.302 thousand, up 35% compared to the 965 thousand in the first nine months of 2017: more than one out of two residential customers opts for an ultrabroadband connectivity service.
The Corporate segment performed extremely well in the period. Specifically, new contracts with the central and local Public Administrations as well as the provision of connectivity and value-added services to new corporate customers lead to an 8% growth of the order book compared to the first nine months of 2017, confirming Fastweb's unique position in the Enterprise Business and Fastweb market share of 30% in terms of revenues.
Another excellent quarter for the mobile segment as well: on September 30 Fastweb has 1.324 thousand mobile customers – up 34% compared to 989 thousand customers on September 30, 2017, confirming an exceptional acquisition rate despite the hyper-competitive landscape. Despite the intense competition, Fastweb mobile continues its double-digit growth with September marking the highest selling month on record. The percentage of convergent customers adopting both wireline and wireless services now represent 28% of Fastweb customer base, proving the effectiveness of Fastweb convergent strategy, based on the quality of services enabled by the new 4G and 4G plus network of the country and the commercial proposition based on transparency and the elimination of all hidden costs and additional components.