Bulgarian mobile operator Globul registered a 24% revenue increase to almost 179 mln leva in the first quarter compared to the same period a year ago, the company announced.

Net profit in the three months ended 31 March grew 46% to 21 mln leva.

Revenues before interests, depreciation, tax and amortization increased 29% to over 69 mln leva.

As of 31 March 2007 Globul had 3,401,862 subscribers up 33% on an annual bases. The company’s market share was over 39%.

Despite strong competition in Bulgaria, Globul’s clients grew by 130,984 in the first three months of the year with 94,722 of them choosing subscription programs of the operator.

Contract subscribers in the period increased 51% year-on-year with their share in Globul’s total subscribers reaching 37%.

The total number of pre-paid subscribers increased 24% compared to the first quarter of 2006.

The average monthly consumption by Globul clients continues to rise and reached 83 minutes in the first quarter – up 22% year-on-year. The average revenue per user was down to 18.20 leva.

Cosmote Group continues to register growth in all markets where it is present – Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Romania and Macedonia.

In the first quarter of the year the companies from the Cosmote group attracted a total of over 1 mln new subscribers and had more than 12.2 mln subscribers in the end of March 2007 – up 38% year-on-year. Thus the company is on track to meet its goal to have 15 mln clients by 2009.

Revenues of the group in the first quarter of the year reached 687 mln euro increasing 38.5% from the same period last year.

Revenues before interests, depreciation, tax and amortization in the period reached 215 mln euros up 12.7% year-on-year.

Cosmote Group’s profit in the first quarter amounted to 74.7 mln euros almost unchanged from the same period last year due to higher financial and amortization costs.