Qatar Telecom (Qtel) has reported a doubling of its first-quarter profits to QAR1.2 billion (US$329 million) thanks to a revision of the royalty payment it makes to the Qatari government, reports Cellular News. Excluding the royalty announcement, the group’s net profit increased 11 percent compared to the same period in 2009. Revenues rose by 14.2 percent to end the period at QAR 6.4 billion, while the consolidated customer base grew by 21.1 percent to 67.68 million. EBITDA increased 14.4 percent during the period to QAR3 billion. EBITDA margin remained resilient during the period, standing during Q1 2010 at 47 percent.