The group assesses the impact of the Covid at 49 million euros. To continue to rigorously control its costs, the company is also drawing up a new program aiming to achieve total gross savings of around 400 million euros by 2025. The financial results for 2020 are in line with forecasts, supports Proximus , which is based in particular on strong growth in the customer base for the year as a whole: +174,000 in Mobile Postpaid, +48,000 for internet and +36,000 for TV. The high-value customer base with convergent or fiber-linked packs is also growing.
The operator also accelerated the deployment of fiber last year, reaching 460,000 households and businesses connected by the end of 2020. More broadly, its investments crossed the billion euros mark last year, excluding spectrum and football broadcasting rights.
The group’s domestic underlying revenue is 4.285 million euros, down 2.3% compared to 2019. Domestic underlying EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) reached , him, 1.705 million euros and is down 0.7%, while that of the group is 1.836 million euros (-1.8%).
To continue to rigorously control its costs in the future, the company is currently developing a new program which aims to achieve a total gross savings of around 400 million euros by 2025. About half of this amount is already reflected with the objective of reducing operating expenses from -1 to -2% for the period 2020-2022. The operator does not specify whether this savings plan will go hand in hand with job cuts.
If the extent and duration of the effects of Covid-19 remain very uncertain in 2021, acknowledges Proximus, the company is still issuing stability forecasts for the coming year.
Proximus therefore confirms its intention to pay a gross annual dividend of € 1.20 per share on the 2021 and 2022 results, this amount being considered as a floor.