Revenues of telecom provider Vega, which is operationally managed by PJSC Farlep Invest, decreased by 14% in 2022 compared with 2021 to UAH 428.4 million, the operator’s press service said Monday.
Revenue from services provided to B2B and B2C clients over modern fiber-optic networks in 2022 was 252 million UAH. More than half of that amount (51 percent) came from retail revenue from Internet and data services, the company said.
The net loss, according to the company’s unaudited figures in the information disclosure system of the National Commission on Securities and Stock Market (NKTSBFR), amounted to 89.32 million UAH against a profit of 184.2 million UAH in 2021. At the meeting of the company shareholders on April 28, it was decided to cover the losses at the expense of future profits.
According to the company, the main source of its income remain broadband Internet access services by optical technology, IP-telephony for customers in the business segment and income from the sale of telecom services to other operators / providers.
In 2022 more than 16 thousand subscribers were connected by optical technologies, which is 60% more than in 2021 and 15% more than it was stipulated by the pre-war plans. The main driver of the base growth was connections to high-quality GPON (gigabit passive optic network), the demand for which increased in the conditions of prolonged power cuts. The number of new customers by the end of last year had increased sevenfold compared to the beginning of the year, the press service said.
“After the Russian invasion Vega was one of the first to resume GPON construction in Kiev, Odessa, Dnepr, Lvov, Kharkov and it is this reliable and high-quality technology that proved to be a lifesaver during the war, as it not only enables uninterrupted end-use communication without power supply, but is also more resistant to disruptions. Last year a total of 1.072 thousand new zones were built, which opened access to energy-efficient Internet for 150 thousand households,” – the press service quotes CEO of the national telecom operator Vega Sergei Skrypnikov.
The company stressed that thanks to the support of Vodafone Ukraine continued to invest in the expansion and modernization of networks, despite the challenges of the ongoing Russian aggression. Last year the capital investments of Vega increased by 32 % in comparison with the previous year and made up 103,1 million hrn.
Last year Farlep Invest PJSC transferred 105,7 million UAH of taxes and fees to the budgets of all levels.
The press release states that according to the initial assessment, the amount of direct losses incurred as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation, excluding damage in the territories that are still occupied, amounted to 40 million UAH.
Since the beginning of the full-scale aggression, Vega has been developing and restoring the network, connecting new subscribers, maintaining stable operation of services and helping to provide critical infrastructure of the state and units of the AFU with communication. During the first war months the operator installed WI-FI in 102 shelters and bomb shelters in most regions of Ukraine, in which Ukrainians have the possibility to use free internet access during the air-raid response. On the whole, the company rendered assistance for 1.9 mln hryvnias. The company estimates additional costs for the purchase and operation of alternative energy sources at 8.6 million UAH, the report says.
Earlier it was reported that the telecom provider Vega in 2023 will continue to invest in the expansion of energy-efficient Internet network technology GPON and will begin replacing the FTTB networks (fiber to the building) in all locations.
The national telecom operator Vega is part of the Vodafone Ukraine group. The operator offers integrated solutions in fixed telephony, broadband Internet access and data transmission. The company is present in 22 regions of Ukraine. It provides Internet services on GPON technology in Kiev, Odessa, Dnipro, Lviv, Kharkiv. Operational management of Vega telecommunications group is carried out by Farlep-Invest PJSC.
