The consolidation of Finnish cableco Welho into DNA boosted the communications provider by 8.4% as the company reported third quarter net sales of €181 million.
The June acquisition took the DNA customer base over the 3 million mark and gave the company a stronger foothold in the Finnish data communication market, in particular in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.
“The Welho acquisition has also made DNA into a leading TV operator,” said DNA CEO Riitta Tiuraniemi. “In the future, we will focus on the development of the TV business, improving both cable TV services and the antenna network. This will strengthen our position as a leading national TV operator”. The combined DNA and Welho cable network has 596,000 subscribers.
DNA is in the process of building a terrestrial HDTV network that will deliver services to 1.5 million Finns by the end of 2010. By the end of 2010, the network is set to cover the Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Turku, Lahti, Hämeenlinna and Tampere regions. It is expected to exceed the licence requirements of 60% of the population by the end of 2011.
