France-based operator group Orange talked up its success in the European 4G market, as it reported its full-year financials for 2013.

It said that it had reached its objective of signing one million 4G customers in France and that, with more than 4,200 sites, its 4G network covers 50 per cent of the population.

In Spain, Orange had 530,000 4G customers, and more than 1,600 sites deployed covering 30 per cent of the population. In Poland, 4G was launched in Warsaw, while in the UK EE had more than 2 million 4G customers as of early January 2014.

Stephane Richard (pictured), chairman and CEO of Orange, said: “In a European market focused on convergence and SIM-only offers, our segmented approach to the market and our investment in high-speed fibre and 4G have proved compelling, with excellent commercial results in terms of both volume and value, particularly in France”.

The company reported a net income attributable to shareholders of €1.87 billion, more than doubled from €820 million in the prior year, on revenue of €40.98 billion, down 5.8 per cent from €43.52 billion.

It said it had demonstrated “its outstanding ability to work collectively to adapt and control costs”, with savings of €929 million offsetting nearly half of its decline in revenue.

And its bottom line also benefitted from “a significantly lower level of goodwill impairment in 2013 compared to 2012”.

It noted the impact of regulatory measures, although excluding these the company still saw a sales decline.

Orange ended the year with 178.5 million mobile customers, an increase of 3.5 per cent year-on-year.

In France, revenue fell by 4.8 per cent, primarily due to mobile services, where ARPU declined by 11.5 per cent on the back of increased competition and regulatory measures.

In Spain, revenue increased by 4.4 per cent, led by sales of mobile handsets sold under plans with payment by instalments, and by fixed-line services.

In Poland, the decrease in mobile services was 2.6 per cent, with Orange noting that competitive pressure was partially offset by customer base growth.

And for its Rest of World segment, revenue increased by 1.3 per cent due to growth of 4.7 per cent in Africa and the Middle East, while Europe, “marked by the downturn in Belgium and Slovakia”, fell by 2.8 per cent.

“In a European market with no shortage of challenges, Orange is determined to remain a leader both in terms of its networks and the creativity of its offers, in fixed as well as mobile,” Richard said.