Kcom delivers results on target
TELECOMS group Kcom has today said is continuing to grow as it revealed its year end results.
The East Yorkshire group reported profit before tax and pre-exceptional items increased 3.1% to £52.7m (2012: £51.1m). Revenue was 3.7% lower at £372.9m in the year ending March 31.
Executive chairman, Bill Halbert, said: “The group has made further progress in improving the quality and long-term sustainability of the business. This is evidenced by the continued strong performance in KC and some of the key customer wins during the year, as a result of the strengthening of our competitive position in target markets.
“Our disciplined financial management gives the group a positive outlook. As a result, we are pleased to be able to commit to a 10% per annum dividend increase through to 2016, while at the same time, investing in support of our longer term goals.
“We remain focused on executing our strategy for profitable growth across each of our brands, targeting opportunities to provide more value added services to existing customers, alongside winning new contracts across all our target markets. This will be underpinned by continued investment in those areas that support scalable and efficient delivery of services to our customers.”
The KC part of the group has continued its successful deployment of fibre and according to the firm, has achieved take up rates “well in excess of initial expectations”.
The group said: “The uptake of our fibre-based services, Lightstream, remains above the levels of our initial expectations, with over 20% of premises passed taking our high-speed services. There are currently 3,600 customers using our Lightstream services.
“Our next financial year’s fibre deployment is expected to reach a further 15,000 homes and premises. We remain on target to make the service available to a total of 45,000 homes in the region, by March 2015.”
