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Losses almost double for 3, a mobile phone company

From Wikinews, the free news source you can write!

Sunday, April 3, 2005

3, the 3G mobile phone firm owned by Hong Kong based Hutchison Whampoa has reported pre-tax, pre-exceptional losses of HK$37.5bn (US$4.8bn/€3.7bn) for 2004. This compares with losses of HK$19.6bn (US$2.5/€1.94bn) in 2003 when the company was only in operation for seven months.

Despite the losses, Hutchison Whampoa chairman Li Ka-Shing said "3 achieved substantial business momentum in 2004". The firm now has over eight million customers worldwide, with three million of these in the UK.

3 was the first 3G provider in the UK, ahead of incumbent Vodafone by launching in 2003. Vodafone currently has about 200,000 customers for its 3G service in Britain.

Sources