Interim report January - March 2013

CEO comment:

“Today’s results show the strength of the new Tele2 with robust performance in customer intake, revenue and EBITDA during the first quarter of 2013. I believe that we are well on track to meet our full year guidance. We are a European and Eurasian operator and mobile is our strategy, which now accounts for 70 percent of total revenue.”

Financial highlights

Stable net sales growth for the Group excluding exchange rate differences

Net intake was 211,000 (269,000), of which mobile 313,000 (375,000) in the quarter. Net sales amounted to SEK 7,298 (7,433) million corresponding to a growth excluding exchange rate difference of 0.2 percent. EBITDA in Q1 2013 amounted to SEK 1,488 (1,506) million, equivalent to an EBITDA margin of 20 (20) percent.

Announcement and closing of the sale of Tele2 Russia

In Q1 2013, Tele2 AB announced its sale of Tele2 Russia to VTB Group in a cash transaction comprising USD 2.4 billion (approximately SEK 15.6 billion) in equity value and USD 1.15 billion (approximately SEK 7.5 billion) in net debt, equivalent to an EBITDA multiple of 4.9 based on FY 2012 results. The transaction was successfully completed on the 4 April, 2013.

Improved margin development in Tele2 Sweden

Mobile net sales in Sweden grew by 2.4 percent, as customer demand for smartphones and data services persisted throughout Q1 2013. The mobile EBITDA contribution in the quarter was SEK 732 (656) million, equivalent to an EBITDA margin of 30 percent.

Good progress in network roll-out for Tele2 Norway

Tele2 Norway performed according to plan during the quarter, focusing on rolling out the country’s third mobile network, which now reaches approximately 70 percent of the population.  

Enhanced operational performance in Tele2 Kazakhstan

Tele2 Kazakhstan continued to expand its market share and added 252,000 (332,000) new customers in the quarter. The total customer base amounted to 3.7 (1.7) million. Thanks to improved operational scale, EBITDA losses diminished to SEK -45 (-97) million.

Significant progress within mobile for Tele2 Netherlands

Tele2 Netherlands continued its marketing push within the mobile segment, accelerating its customer intake to 57,000 (13,000) customers and taking the total mobile customer base to 535,000. In the quarter, Tele2 Netherlands started the preparatory work to become an MNO, including procurement processes.

The Board of Directors proposed a dividend amounting to SEK 7.10 for 2012 and a mandatory redemption program of SEK 28.00 following the completion of the sale of Tele2 Russia

The Board of Tele2 AB decided to recommend an increase in its ordinary dividend of 9 percent to SEK 7.10 (6.50) per share in respect of the financial year 2012. Following the completion of the sale of Tele2 Russia, the Board of Tele2 AB also proposes to distribute SEK 12.5 billion, equivalent to SEK 28.00 per share, to shareholders through a mandatory redemption of shares.

The Interim report is available on reports.tele2.com/2013/Q1

Presentation Q1 2013 result

Tele2 will host a presentation with the possibility to join through a conference call, for the global financial community at 10:00 am CET (09:00 am UK time/04:00 am NY time) on Thursday, April 18, 2013. The presentation will be held in English and also made available as an audiocast on Tele2’s dedicated Q1 2013 website, http://reports.tele2.com/2013/Q1.

Venue:

Royal Coin Cabinet, Slottsbacken 6, Stockholm

Dial-in information:

To ensure that you are connected to the conference call, please dial in a few minutes before the start of the conference call to register your attendance.

Dial-in numbers:

Sweden: +46 8 505 564 74

UK: +44 203 364 5374

US: +1 855 753 2230

Contacts

Mats Granryd

President & CEO

Telephone: + 46 (0)8 5620 0060

Lars Nilsson

CFO

Telephone: +46 (0)8 5620 0060

Lars Torstensson

EVP, Corporate Communication

Telephone: + 46 (0)8 5620 0042

TELE2 IS ONE OF EUROPE'S FASTEST GROWING TELECOM OPERATORS, ALWAYS PROVIDING CUSTOMERS WITH WHAT THEY NEED FOR LESS. We have 16 million customers in 10 countries. Tele2 offers mobile services, fixed broadband and fixed telephony, data network services, cable TV and content services. Ever since Jan Stenbeck founded the company in 1993, it has been a tough challenger to the former government monopolies and other established providers. Tele2 has been listed on the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm since 1996. In 2012, we had net sales of SEK 31 billion and reported an operating profit (EBITDA) of SEK 6 billion