Telecom tower operator Bharti Infratel has posted a 64 per cent rise in consolidated net profit of ₹472.4 crore for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2014. The company had posted a net profit of ₹287.3 crore for the same quarter a year ago.
The company’s revenue rose 4 per cent to ₹2,789.9 crore from ₹2,673.6 crore posted in the comparable period a year ago, Bharti Infratel said in a statement.
“The regulatory environment in telecom sector has improved significantly post the spectrum auctions conducted in February. Operators have made large investments primarily for data networks using the 3G and 4G technologies,” Bharti Infratel Chairman Akhil Gupta said in a statement.
“We believe the faster rollout of networks will happen over the coming years in order to monetise these investments,” Gupta said, adding that data proliferation will be the key driver for tower and co-location demand in future.
Bharti Infratel had a total tower base of 83,368 and 1,67,202 co-location sites, while the company had an operating free cash flow of ₹539 crore.
Bharti Infratel and Indus Towers (an independent tower company formed by Idea Cellular, Bharti Infratel and Vodafone India) together have a market share of 37.8 per cent as on March 31 in terms of installed tower base. In co-location terms, the market share is 42.5 per cent.