Tele2 has cut its guidance because of industry trends including a customer shift from voice to data, according to a statement accompanying the Nordic operator’s Q3 results.

The operator now expects 2015 revenue of between SEK 32.5 billion (U$5.1 billion) and SEK 33.5 billion against an earlier forecast of at least SEK 35.6 billion.

“Customers are moving from pay-as-you-go to bucket price plans sooner and faster than anticipated and pricing plans are shifting from voice to data as customers’ user behaviour changes,” said Mats Granryd (pictured), Tele2’s president and CEO,

Granryd said the trends had been apparent previously but was happening faster than expected.

In the longer term, the shift is positive, he said, but leads to “higher operational costs and further price pressure in the short run”.

The operator also revised downwards its Ebitda forecast for 2015 to between SEK6.7 billion and SEK7.3 billion from an earlier figure of at least SEK 8.3 billion.

A deterioration in fixed–line services was the second reason given for the guidance revision.

In its Q3 results for 2013, Tele2 reported a two per cent decline in net sales to SEK 7.6 billion compared to the same period in 2012. The company also reported a loss of SEK 194 million compared to a net profit of SEK 283 million in 2012.

Tele 2 has mobile operations in a number of markets including, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands and Kazakhstan.