Utfors Year-End Report 2001 (with link)

Strong Growth and Secured Financing


SOLNA, Sweden, February 14, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Utfors:


 -- Continued strong demand for Utfors IP-port leading to 1713
    contracted access points as of 31 December 2001, of which 441
    during the fourth quarter. In addition, further contracts have
    been signed for 151 access points up until the date of this
    report.
 
 -- At the end of the period, 1126 IP Ports were active, representing
    an increase of 476 during the fourth quarter. The current economic
    climate and a sales trend towards fewer but larger IP Port
    accounts resulted in a weaker ARPU trend than the Company had
    first forecasted.
 
 -- Large new customers for IP Ports include Domstolsverket
    [The National Swedish Judiciary Administration], Volkswagen, and
    SIF [The Swedish Union of Clerical and Technical Employees in
    Industry].
 
 -- Net total for 2001 amounted to SEK 445.2 million (283.4), an
    increase of 57 percent. Net total sales for the fourth quarter
    amounted to SEK 132.5 million (74,2) representing an increase of
    78 percent compared with 2000 and 13 percent compared with the
    previous quarter.
 
 -- Adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation &
    Amortization) for the year amounted to SEK -355.1 million (-173.3)
    and for the forth quarter to SEK -86,4 million (-59.9). An
    improvement from SEK -92,0 million previous quarter.
 
 -- Utfors has successfully completed a financial solution meaning
    that the Company now is fully financed according to the current
    business plan. Additional SEK 376 million before issue costs are
    thereby available to the Company.
 
 -- Utfors has to Skelleftea Kraft sold one of Utfors' previously
    installed ducts between Umea and Pitea for approximately
    SEK 20 million.
 
 -- The settlement with Pangea implied a loss for Utfors in the
    accounts of SEK -16.2 million.
 
 -- Improved deregulation of the market regarding local calls, has
    initially implied an increase in revenue of approximately 10
    percent for Utfors' indirect telephony services.
 
                               3 mths    3 mths    12 mths     12 mths
                              Oct-Dec   Oct-Dec  Full-Year   Full-Year
 SEK millions                    2001      2000       2001        2000
 
 Net total sales                132.5      74.2      445.2       283.4
 EBITDA(1)                     -112.9     -36.2     -360.0       -39.1
 Adjusted EBITDA(2)             -86.4     -36.9     -355.1      -173.3
 Operating loss                -186.7     -80.4     -556.5      -119.2
 Loss after
  financial items(3)          -217.9     -88.4     -675.5      -131.8
 
 (1) Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation & Amortization
 (2) Excluding earnings from network sales and non-recurring items.
 (3) The amount includes foreign exchange gains/losses and commission
     costs etc. related to borrowings.

Utfors AB (publ) The Board of Directors

The Group's consolidated profit & loss statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, quarterly data and key figures and ratios, as well as financial terminology are set out in Appendix 1.

Utfors AB (publ) (Swedish Corporate Registration Number 556513-3393) Box 525 169 29 Solna Switchboard: +46 8 5270 20 00 Fax: +46 8 5270 25 95

This and other reports are also available at Utfors' website: www.utfors.se


 FINANCIAL INFORMATION
 Interim report Jan-Mar   26 April 2002
 Annual report            29 April 2002
 Shareholders' meeting    14 May 2002
 Interim report Jan-Jun   30 July 2002
 Interim report Jan-Sep   31 October 2002
 Year End report 2002      7 February 2003

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The following files are available for download:


 www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/02/14/20020214BIT00300/bit0001.doc
 The full year-end report
 
 www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/02/14/20020214BIT00300/bit0001.pdf
 The full year-end report


            

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