
Reading Time: 4 minutes
The modernisation in Norway is progressing according to plan, and we see a 3% mobile subscription and traffic revenue growth combined with a 5% reduction in operating expenses this quarter. In Thailand and Myanmar, the momentum seen earlier in 2019 continued and both operations have now returned to positive subscription and traffic revenue growth. However, headwinds in Pakistan as a result of the telecom tax re-introduction and a difficult macroeconomic environment have made the situation locally challenging.
During the quarter we have successfully concluded the acquisition of DNA in Finland. The mandatory tender offer period ended on 10 October and resulted in an ownership share of 97.96 percent. We have started to onboard DNA to our procurement processes to materialise synergies, and we are now looking for opportunities to expand service offerings to Finnish business customers.
Recently, we have also taken further steps on our simplification agenda. Yesterday, we announced that we will be entering into a joint venture with Nordic Entertainment Group, combining our satellite-based entertainment businesses to extract synergies and deliver enhanced customer experience.
Based on the performance so far this year and our expectations for the fourth quarter, we maintain our outlook for 2019. Execution on our strategic agenda remains our focus and key driver for value creation going forward, said Sigve Brekke, President and CEO, Telenor Group.
Third quarter Third quarter First three quarters First three quarters Year First three quarters
Post IFRS 16
KEY FIGURES TELENOR GROUP 2019 2018 2019 2018 2018 2019
(NOK in millions)
Revenues 29 530 27 566 85 267 82 219 110 362 85 069
Organic revenue growth (%) 0,1 0,6 0,4 -0,6 -0,6
Subscription and traffic revenues 22 762 21 356 65 731 63 709 84 825 65 731
Organic subscription and traffic revenue growth (%) -0,6 0,2 -0,4 0,5 0,2
EBITDA before other income and other expenses 12 092 12 410 34 354 35 087 45 451 38 185
Organic EBITDA growth (%) -7,3 5,6 -5,0 5,2 3,2
EBITDA before other income and other expenses/Revenues (%) 40,9 45,0 40,3 42,7 41,2 44,9
Net income attributable to equity holders of Telenor ASA (436) 5 881 6 541 13 518 14 731 6 044
Capex excl. licences and spectrum 3 738 4 219 11 883 10 707 16 776
Total Capex 3 816 4 274 11 967 12 626 31 245
Free cash flow before M&A 2 808 4 672 3 461 10 237 11 691
Total Free cash flow (11 642) 26 543 (10 080) 32 130 31 989
Mobile subscriptions Change in quarter/Total (mill.) 5,2 0,7 183 173 174
Third quarter 2019 summary1
On 21 August, Telenor completed the acquisition of DNA and subsequently initiated a mandatory tender offer for the remaining shares, which ended on 10 October with Telenor achieving a holding of 97.96%. DNA was consolidated from 21 August 2019.2
Subscription and traffic revenues decreased by 1% on an organic basis. In a challenging market environment, revenues in Pakistan declined significantly, offsetting growth in several other markets. Total reported revenues increased by 7% to NOK 29.5 billion.
Currency adjusted gross profit excluding DNA declined by NOK 0.8 billion, impacted by the revenue drop in Pakistan and reversals last year. Reported gross profit increased by NOK 0.6 billion.
Currency adjusted opex increased by NOK 0.6 billion, but was stable excluding DNA and project costs related to the DNA acquisition and the Axiata merger discussions. Reported opex increased by NOK 0.9 billion or 10%.
EBITDA decreased by 7% or NOK 0.9 billion on an organic basis, primarily as a consequence of the development in Pakistan. Reported EBITDA before other items was NOK 12.1 billion with an EBITDA margin of 41%.
The Group generated Free cash flow before M&A of NOK 2.8 billion in the quarter.
Outlook for 20193 Based on the performance so far this year and our expectations for the fourth quarter, we maintain our outlook for 2019. We expect organic subscription and traffic revenue growth at around the 2018 level and a low single digit organic EBITDA decline. Capex excluding licences and spectrum is expected to be in the range of NOK 16-17 billion, excluding DNA.
1 The key figures and summary for the third quarter of 2019 as well as the forward-looking statements are based on current Group structure and accounting standards as of 31 December 2018 unless otherwise stated. Please refer to Definitions on page 31 for descriptions of alternative performance measures.
2 Some of the comments on the Group's financial results for the third quarter 2019 are made excluding DNA. Please refer to page 8 for the Group's consolidated figures in NOK for DNA.
3 The outlook for 2019 is based on Group structure as of 30 September 2019, but excludes DNA and project costs related to the acquisition of DNA and the merger discussions with Axiata in Asia.
Presentation of Q3 results Wednesday 23 October, 0900 CET / 0800 UK TIME
To view the webcast, visit; https://t.expo.no/PJaBqk
To participate in the conference call, dial:
47 2100 2610 (local Norway)
46 (0)8 5664 2753 (local Sweden)
44 (0)330 336 9126 (local UK)
1 929-477-0402 (local US)
Please state confirmation code 2306607, your name and company to the operator
For the Q&A session: to queue up for questions please press *1
Visit www.telenor.com/Q3-2019 to read the report.
Press meeting A separate press meeting will be held at 1100 CET at Telenor Expo Visitor Centre, Snar yveien 30, Fornebu. The media session will be held in Norwegian. To RSVP, please email: Jonathan.Higgins@telenor.com
Investor Relations: ystein Myrvold
Tel: 47 992 30 460
oystein.myrvold@telenor.com
H kon Hatlevik
Tel: 47 901 46 070
hakon.hatlevik@telenor.com
Media Contact: Jonathan Higgins
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
06/12/2025
In a live broadcast from the Reagan National Defense Forum, L3Harris Chair and CEO Christopher Kubasik joined Morgan Brennan on CNBCs Closing Bell: Overtime. Ku...
06/12/2025
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. A new survey from Pixitmedia by Datacore revealed a major shift in the Media & Entertainment industry in media archiving, with 85% of resp...
06/12/2025
HACKENSACK, N.J. LiveU has announced that the national public broadcaster Czech Television has completed one of the largest LiveU live production deployments fo...
06/12/2025
NEW YORK The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) presented the Excellence in Production Technology Emmy Award to NASA+ and Dr. Tom Leight...
05/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Curt Gowdy Jr. - Master Storyteller, Nati...
05/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Veritone's Sean King on the Power of Mining Video, Audio DataThe company's Data Refinery offers users total control and governance over da...
05/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: Inside the Nashville Predators' Unified, Flexible, Sca...
05/12/2025
Netflix Reaches Agreement To Acquire Warner Bros. Following Planned WBD SplitThe deal does not include WBDs sports assets like TNT Sports (US, UK, LatAm), Euros...
05/12/2025
FOX Sports Returns to Indianapolis for Primetime Broadcast of Big Ten Championsh...
05/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Digital Engagement & Monetization Workshop Tackles the ...
05/12/2025
Atlanta United Lights Up New Emory Healthcare Studio With First Live Broadcast f...
05/12/2025
As Messi Takes the Pitch, MLS, Apple, NEP Roll Out Largest MLS Cup Production Ev...
05/12/2025
ESPN Enters College Football's Most Intense Month With Elevated Workflows fo...
05/12/2025
It's about that time! Awards season is in full swing, and the Film Independe...
05/12/2025
Every year, Spotify Wrapped offers a personalized look back at the audio that defined your year. It's a snapshot of your listening habits, designed to tell ...
05/12/2025
In 2025, Spotify's EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR programs celebrated women, LGBTQIA , and emerging artists who turned moments into milestones. From breaking record...
05/12/2025
In our latest blog, we explain how Wi-Fi 7 rollouts can drive consumer loyalty with value-add services such as consumer cybersecurity. We also explore how this ...
05/12/2025
LOS ANGELES Netflix announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion....
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Nielsens Gracenote has launched Gracenote Content Connect, a new ad platform that provides agencies, brands, supply-side platforms (SSPs) and demand-si...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK In an most important update to the workings of deal-based programmatic advertising, IAB Tech Lab has released version 1.0 of its Deals API for public c...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Pass the turkey. Pass the stuffing. Pass the cranberry sauce. All are common requests of Americans celebrating Thanksgiving Day with family and f...
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Iris, the new cloud-connected camera control platform, has officially launched with features that turn virtually any PTZ camera into a software-connect...
05/12/2025
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. Netflix announced today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the assets of Warner Bros. for $82.7 billion....
05/12/2025
NEW YORK Iris, the new cloud-connected camera control platform, has officially launched with features that turn virtually any PTZ camera into a software-connect...
05/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has approved AT&T's $1.02 billion acquisition of spectrum from UScellular in a decision that was issued sho...
05/12/2025
The Best Coldplay Songs: 21 Tracks That Shoot for the Stars From Yellow to Viva La Vida, Fix You to Paradise, this playlist goes back to the start.
December ...
05/12/2025
Zafris Lecture Series Brings Nabil Ayers to Berklee The 32nd annual James G. Zafris Distinguished Lecture series was held on Thursday, November 13, with guest...
05/12/2025
Introducing New Perks to Help You Get Even More from LinkedIn Premium Published on Dec 5, 2025 Categories: Company News, Product News
LinkedIn Corporate Co...
05/12/2025
Friday 5 December 2025
A new Game of Thrones Tale: Official trailer for Sky Exc...
05/12/2025
Back to All News
Don Lee, Lee Jin-uk, and Lalisa Manobal to Star in Netflix Act...
05/12/2025
Tis the season of giving once again and this year we've taken our Give Back Fridays' concept and turned it on its head.
In the autumn we were approach...
05/12/2025
Brayden Gogis doesn't remember a time when he wasn't completely fixated on games in all forms. In preschool, when they asked us to dress up as what we ...
05/12/2025
The Grinch steals the spotlight as the theme for The Late Late Toy Show 2025
Tune in tonight at 9:35pm on RT One and worldwide on RT Player
#LateLateToyShow...
05/12/2025
RT Announces New Presenters of Flagship News Programmes
New RT Six One News co-presenter Tommy Meskill
Sarah McInerney & Justin McCarthy join Morning Ir...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir Blackmagic Design HyperDeck Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & ...
04/12/2025
ToolsOnAir AJA Ki Pro Event Presets for just:in mac pro 2025 & just:in linux
More Details:Starting with version 5.5, both just:in mac pro and just:in linux sol...
04/12/2025
Wangu Kanuri from Kenya and Godwin Asediba from Ghana are two of this years finalists for Thomsons Young Journalist of the Year Award. The pair are runners-up i...
04/12/2025
SVG Sit-Down: ProximaVision's Claudio Lisman on Why Tethered Drones Could Be...
04/12/2025
SVG Campus Shot Callers: Imry Halevi, Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Co...
04/12/2025
Platinum White Paper: LiveU Lightweight Sports Production: A Step Change in Spor...
04/12/2025
London to Riyadh: DAZN brings the boxing glamour to new production levels for Be...
04/12/2025
Analysis: Paramount bets on the battering ram' with Champions League play By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Tuesday, December 2, 2025 - 10:12
Print ...
04/12/2025
Space City Home Network Launches SCHN DTC App for Astros and RocketsThe Rockets and Astros were previously the lone NBA and MLB teams without a DTC appBy Jason...
04/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Content Workflows Workshop Spotlights Evolution of Spor...
04/12/2025
New Sponsor Spotlight: Geotech's Patrick Wambold On the Unreal Engine Revolu...
04/12/2025
Curt Gowdy Jr. - Master Storyteller, Nationally and RegionallyBy Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Thursday, December 4, 2025 - 1:52 pm
Print This Sto...
04/12/2025
(L-R) Rebecca Lichtenfeld, Mohammadreza Eyni, Sara Khaki, and Judith Helfand att...
04/12/2025
SBS launches Future Frames initiative to support emerging First Nations video ed...