OREANDA-NEWS. On 24 July 2008 was announced, that the Lattelecom Group earned LVL 80.5 million during the first half of this year – 10% more than in the first half of 2007. The company’s profits achieved a level of LVL 15.9 million, with capital investments of LVL 9.4 million.

“The half-year operating results show that Lattelecom has developed in a stable way and in accordance with the goals that were set at the beginning of the year. The priority has been increasing the number of broadband Internet clients. In pursuit of this goal, we made our greatest investments in the Lattelecom network infrastructure, developing the access and data network which makes it possible to hook up new clients to broadband Internet services,” says Lattelecom board chairman Juris Gulbis.

The number of Lattelecom Internet service users in the first half of this year increased by 23% in comparison to the same period of time in 2007, to 168,700 users in all. In April, for the first time, the company installed an optic connection for an entire housing estate – the Green Islands estate in the Ogre District town of Ikshkile. The company also increased the number of its WiMAX base stations. At this time, wireless WiMAX Internet services from Lattelecom are available in the environs of 10 base stations in Riga and its surrounding area, Ogre, Daugavpils, Zalenieki in the Jelgava District, and Dunalka in the Liepaja District.

“Given the current economic situation, the Lattelecom Supervisory Council welcomes the results that were achieved in the first half-year, and it would like to express its thanks to the company's board and employees,” says Lattelecom Supervisory Council chairman Gundars Strautmanis.

In the corporate services sector during the first half-year, Lattelecom’s most important projects included the delivery of computer technologies and multifunctional equipment to public libraries under the auspices of an agreement concluded with the National Cultural Information Systems Agency. The company provided a electronic document processing and storage solution for the airBaltic airline. In co-operation with Logica, which is one of the leading European providers of outsourced information technology and business services, Lattelecom created a system for the exchange of electronic bills among companies in the Baltic States and other countries of the world.

In the sector for small and medium businesses, the Disruption project, which was aimed at helping companies to develop and to facilitate their competitiveness, allowed seven companies to improve effectiveness with the help of information technology and telecommunications solutions. In a media survey, the best results in the Disruption project were declared to be those that were achieved at the Vidzeme Hospital.

For local residents, Lattelecom began to offer inexpensive computers with a Lattelecom Internet connection, thus making portable computers more available for those residents who had not been able to afford computer and Internet use. During the first half-year, Lattelecom’s digital television project offered several new channels, including a unique Music Video channel. The company has also started to offer the connected home service, which simplifies the use of technologies in people’s homes.

Lattelecom’s operating priorities in 2008 include development of broadband Internet services, improvements to client services, development of a self-service system, as well as an increase in Lattelecom’s operating effectiveness.

Lattelecom is the leading provider of electronic communications services in Latvia. The company offers integrated electronic communications and IT services, as well as telecommunications, network design and installation services. Lattelecom also provides data transmission and IT infrastructure solutions, Internet and contact centre services, as well as outsourced business process services. The Lattelecom Group consists of five companies – Lattelecom, Lattelecom Technology, Lattelecom BPO, Citrus Solutions, and the Baltic Computer Academy.