Atlantic Tele-Network Reports First Quarter Earnings; Acquired Businesses Drive 46% Increase in Operating Income and 34% Increase in Net Income.SALEM Salem, in the Bible Salem (sā`ləm) [Heb.,=peace], in the Bible, royal city of Melchizedek, traditionally identified with Jerusalem. Salem, city, India Salem, city (1991 pop. , Mass. -- Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc. ("ATN ATN Acute tubular necrosis, see there ") (Amex: ANK ANK Ankara (Turkey) ANK Attempted, Not Known ANK Alphanumeric Keyboard ANK Anunaki (ancient Sumerian Gods) ) today reported earnings for the quarter ending March 31, 2006. All share and per share amounts reflect the effects of the 5-for-2 split of our common stock, which took place on March 31, 2006. For the quarter ended March 31, 2006 operating income Operating Income The profit realized from a business' own operations. Notes: This would not include income from things such as investments in other firms. Also referred to as operating profit or recurring profit. was $11.6 million, an increase of $3.7 million or 46% as compared to operating income of $7.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2005. For the quarter ended March 31, 2006 earnings were $4.1 million, or $0.33 per share, as compared to earnings of $3.0 million, or $0.24 per share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2005, an increase of $1.1 million or 34%. As was previously announced, the Company completed its acquisition of SoVerNet, Inc., a Vermont Vermont (vərmŏnt`) [Fr.,=green mountain], New England state of the NE United States. It is bordered by New Hampshire, across the Connecticut R. data and telephone services provider in February 2006. SoVerNet's results since the date of acquisition, along with the results of two previously reported acquisitions by Commnet which were effective January 1, 2006, are reflected in the 2006 operating results. The statement of operations See Income statement. for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 also includes the results of Commnet Wireless, LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control , which was acquired by ATN in September 2005 and consequently is not reflected in the results for the first quarter of 2005. Michael T. Prior, Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc., said: "We are happy to have a strong start to 2006. This quarter shows the benefits of some of our key decisions of 2005--the decisions to acquire Commnet and SoVerNet, the decision to shut down our Atlantic Tele-Center business and the decisions to implement a restructuring restructuring - The transformation from one representation form to another at the same relative abstraction level, while preserving the subject system's external behaviour (functionality and semantics). and new service launch at Choice. Our executives and staff worked very hard in 2005 to position this Company for continued growth and we are pleased with the results to date. But there are still some challenges ahead of us. Among those is increasing growth in wireless revenue in Guyana. To this end, we undertook a careful review of our wireless network design and capacity demands in Guyana, and, as a result, committed to further expansion of our GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) A digital cellular phone technology based on TDMA that is the predominant system in Europe, but also used worldwide. Developed in the 1980s, GSM was first deployed in seven European countries in 1992. network capacity and coverage. We also expect to make additional investments in our U.S.-based rural wireless network and in our Vermont local telephone and data business, as we think both have good opportunities for significant revenue growth." ATN generated the following operating results for the quarter ended March 31, 2006 (unless otherwise indicated, all comparative information is compared against the quarter ended March 31, 2005): Wireless Revenue. Wireless revenue increased by $9.5 million, or 250%, to $13.3 million from $3.8 million. Of this increase, $9.0 million was attributable to the Commnet acquisition. Commnet continues to deploy new GSM and CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) A method for transmitting simultaneous signals over a shared portion of the spectrum. The foremost application of CDMA is the digital cellular phone technology from QUALCOMM that operates in the 800 MHz band and 1.9 GHz PCS band. sites rapidly in existing service markets and is actively pursuing new market opportunities as well. The remaining $500,000 increase in wireless revenue for 2006 was attributable to the growth of GT&T's wireless customer-base, which increased from 166,000 subscribers to 246,000 subscribers. As of March 31, 2006, over 136,000 of GT&T's wireless subscribers were GSM customers. GT&T experienced healthy wireless revenue growth of 14%, but the revenue growth trailed subscriber growth as wireless ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) A calculation often used to determine the overall value of an application. It is also used to rate particular customers, especially in the wireless space, by comparing someone's account to the overall average. (Average Revenue per User) has declined. In management's opinion, the decline in ARPU reflects a number of factors, including: (1) penetration into a lower use demographic, (2) some users maintaining both a TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) A satellite and cellular phone technology that interleaves multiple digital signals onto a single high-speed channel. For cellular, TDMA triples the capacity of the original analog method (FDMA). and GSM account which spreads revenue from one user between two subscriber accounts, and (3) lower use in the most recent quarter because of severe network congestion In data networking and queueing theory, network congestion occurs when a link or node is carrying so much data that its quality of service deteriorates. Typical effects include queueing delay, packet loss or the blocking of new connections. problems in the Guyana's capital city, Georgetown. Local Telephone and Data Revenue. Local telephone and data revenue totaled $9.2 million, an increase of $2.4 million, or 35%. Of this increase, $2.1 million was attributable to SoVerNet, Inc. which was acquired by ATN in February 2006. Excluding that contribution, local telephone and data revenue generated by our Guyana and Virgin Islands operations increased by $0.3 million, or 5%. GT&T's increase was attributable to growth in access lines and in its wireless customer-base while Choice continued to experience strong growth in its wireless broadband High-speed wireless transmission of data. What is "high" speed is always a changing number. Wireless systems are typically slower than land-based, wireline networks. In the past, wireless broadband started at 250 Kbps, whereas land-based broadband was generally considered to start at T1 customers. In addition to the increase in wireless subscribers noted above, GT&T's access lines increased from 106,000 to 114,000, an increase of 8%, as management continued to bring new areas into service. International Long Distance Revenue and Other Revenue. International long distance revenue was $11.2 million, a decline of $0.2 million, or 2%. Management believes that this stems in part from the negative impact of a number of cuts to its fiber optic backbone in the first quarter. Management also believes that various forms of bypass in Guyana, principally Internet calling See Internet telephony. , also contributed to this decline. Other revenue increased as a result of a 23% increase in television subscribers in our Virgin Islands operations. Operating Expenses Operating expenses The amount paid for asset maintenance or the cost of doing business, excluding depreciation. Earnings are distributed after operating expenses are deducted. . Operating expenses increased by $8.2 million, or 55%, from $14.8 million to $23.0 million for the quarters ended March 31, 2005 and 2006, respectively. Of the $8.2 million increase, $8.0 million is attributable to the addition of Commnet and SoVerNet, which do not have their operating expenses reflected in our results for the quarter ended March 31, 2005. Excluding Commnet and SoVerNet, operating expenses increased slightly due to increased marketing efforts at GT&T and increased overhead costs overhead costs see fixed costs. at the parent company. The increased overhead expenses at the parent include approximately $128,000 in equity compensation expense. These increases were, however, largely offset by the impact of cost reduction measures at Choice. Other Income (Expense), net. Other income and expenses was a net expense of $388,000 for the quarter, as compared to income of $434,000 a year earlier. The negative change in this item is largely a result of a substantial increase in interest expense and a decline in interest income. The Commnet and SoVerNet acquisitions required the use of cash on hand and borrowing under the Company's credit facility, as did the first quarter acquisitions by Commnet. As of March 31, 2006, the Company's debt to equity ratio The debt to equity ratio (D/E) is a financial ratio indicating the relative proportion of equity and debt used to finance a company's assets. It is equal to total debt divided by shareholders' equity. was 0.59 to 1 and its net debt to equity ratio was 0.36 to 1. Also included in other income and expenses are management fees received from Bermuda Digital Communications Transmitting text, voice and video in binary form. See communications. (BDC (Backup Domain Controller) In a Windows NT server, a copy of the Primary Domain Controller (PDC). The BDC is periodically synchronized with the PDC. See PDC. BDC - Backup Domain Controller ), which remained relatively consistent. Bermuda Digital Communications. Equity in the earnings of BDC decreased from $0.6 million to $0.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2005 and 2006, respectively. Gross profit from the Bermuda wireless business was relatively flat, but operating income and net income were negatively impacted by higher marketing and legal costs. BDC incurred significant legal expenses relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc the previously disclosed dispute regarding the scope of its license as it relates to data services. A hearing in that matter took place in April 2006 and a decision is expected shortly. About Atlantic Tele-Network Atlantic Tele-Network, Inc. (AMEX:ANK) is a telecommunications company See telecom company. with corporate offices in Salem, Massachusetts Salem, Massachusetts locale of frenzied assault on supposed witches (1692). [Am. Hist.: Jameson, 442; Am. Lit.: The Crucible] See : Witchcraft and St. Thomas (language) Thomas - A language compatible with the language Dylan(TM). Thomas is NOT Dylan(TM). The first public release of a translator to Scheme by Matt Birkholz, Jim Miller, and Ron Weiss, written at Digital Equipment Corporation's Cambridge Research Laboratory runs , U.S. Virgin Islands. Its principal subsidiaries include: Guyana Telephone and Telegraph telegraph, term originally applied to any device or system for distant communication by means of visible or audible signals, now commonly restricted to electrically operated devices. Attempts at long-distance communication date back thousands of years (see signaling). Company, Limited, which is the national telephone service provider in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana for all local, long-distance and international service, as well as the largest cellular service provider; Commnet Wireless, LLC, which provides voice and data wireless roaming The ability to use a communications device such as a cellphone or PDA and be able to move from one cell or access point to another without losing the connection. services for U.S. and international carriers in rural areas throughout the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. ; SoVerNet, Inc., which provides wireline voice and data services to businesses and homes across Vermont; and Choice Communications, LLC, which provides wireless television and wireless broadband services, as well as dial-up internet Internet Publicly accessible computer network connecting many smaller networks from around the world. It grew out of a U.S. Defense Department program called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), established in 1969 with connections between computers at the services in the United States Virgin Islands. ATN also owns 44% of Bermuda Digital Communications Ltd., which, under the Cellular One name, is the largest provider of cellular voice and data services in Bermuda. Cautionary Language Concerning Forward-Looking Statements forward-looking statement A projected financial statement based on management expectations. A forward-looking statement involves risks with regard to the accuracy of assumptions underlying the projections. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to, among other matters, the future financial performance and results of operations of ATN, including the relative contributions of Commnet and SoVerNet; demand for our services and industry trends; the pace of our network expansion and improvement, including our realization of the benefits of these investments; and management's plans and strategy for the future. These forward-looking statements are based on estimates, projections, beliefs, and assumptions and are not guarantees of future events or results. Actual future events and results could differ materially from the events and results indicated in these statements as a result of many factors, including, among others, (1) significant political and regulatory risk facing our exclusive license to provide local exchange and long distance telephone services in Guyana; (2) any significant decline in the price or volume of international long distance calls to Guyana; (3) increased competition affecting our businesses; (4) the regulation of rates that GT&T may charge for local wireline telephone service; (5) significant tax disputes between GT&T and the Guyanese tax authorities; (6) a significant portion of our U.S. wireless revenue is derived from a small number of customers; (7) our failure to maintain favorable fa·vor·a·ble adj. 1. Advantageous; helpful: favorable winds. 2. Encouraging; propitious: a favorable diagnosis. 3. roaming arrangements; (8) economic, political and other risks facing our foreign political operations; (9) regulatory changes affecting our businesses; (10) rapid and significant technological changes in the telecommunications Communicating information, including data, text, pictures, voice and video over long distance. See communications. industry; (11) our reliance on a limited number of key suppliers and vendors for timely supply of equipment and services relating to our network infrastructure; (12) loss of any key members of management; (13) the adequacy and expansion capabilities of our network capacity and customer service system to support our customer growth; (14) dependence of our wireless and wireline revenues on the reliability and performance of our network infrastructure; (15) the occurrence of severe weather and natural catastrophes; (16) our economic interest in our Bermuda affiliate may be reduced in 2008; and (17) our inability to realize the value that we believe exists in businesses that we acquire. These and other additional factors that may cause actual future events and results to differ materially from the events and results indicated in the forward-looking statements above are set forth more fully under Item 1A "Risk Factors" of ATN's Annual Report on Form 10-K Form 10-K A report required by the SEC from exchange-listed companies that provides for annual disclosure of certain financial information. Form 10-K See 10-K. for the year ended December 31, 2005, which is on file with the SEC. ATN undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors that may affect such forward-looking statements.
ATLANTIC TELE-NETWORK, INC.
Statements of Operations
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2005 and 2006
(in Thousands, Except per Share Data)
Three Months
Ended March 31,
-----------------
2005 2006
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Wireless $ 3,786 $13,312
Local Telephone and Data 6,776 9,191
International Long Distance 11,365 11,171
Other Revenues 762 847
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Total revenue 22,689 34,521
Termination and Access Fees 1,370 4,707
Internet and Programming 654 706
Engineering and Operations 3,487 4,966
Sales, Marketing and Customer Services 1,530 1,930
General and Administrative 3,525 4,716
Depreciation and Amortization 4,184 5,795
Non-Cash Stock Based Compensation - 128
------- -------
Operating Expenses 14,750 22,948
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Operating Income 7,939 11,573
Interest Income (Expense), net 135 (664)
Other Income 299 276
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Other Income (Expense), net 434 (388)
Income Before Taxes 8,373 11,185
Income Taxes 5,016 6,465
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Income Before Equity in Earnings of
Unconsolidated Affiliates and Minority Interests 3,357 4,720
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliates 590 466
Minority interests (901) (1,097)
------- -------
Net income $ 3,046 $ 4,089
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Net Income Per Share
Basic $ 0.24 $ 0.33
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Diluted $ 0.24 $ 0.33
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Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding
Basic 12,535 12,486
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Diluted 12,535 12,544
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