6-K 1 dp10698_6k.htm

 
FORM 6-K
 
 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
 
 
Report of Foreign Issuer
 
 
Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
 
 
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): July 22, 2008
 
 
Commission File Number: 000-22828
 
 
MILLICOM INTERNATIONAL
CELLULAR S.A.
75 Route de Longwy
Box 23, L-8080 Bertrange
Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg
________________________________________________
(Address of principal executive offices)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F.
 
 
Form 20-F X            Form 40-F
 
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1):  ___
 
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7):  ___
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
 
Yes                    No X

If “Yes” is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to the registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-  ____________
 
 


MILLICOM INTERNATIONAL CELLULAR S.A.

INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Item

1.
Press release dated July 22, 2008 regarding the acquisition of Amnet by Millicom
2.
Press release dated July 22, 2008 regarding Millicom’s financial results for the period ended June 30, 2008
 

 

 
 
SIGNATURES


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.



 
MILLICOM INTERNATIONAL CELLULAR S.A.
(Registrant)
 
 
Date: July 22, 2008
By: /s/ Marc Beuls
 
 
Name: Marc Beuls
 
 
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
 
     
     
 
By: /s/ David Sach
 
 
Name: David Sach
 
 
Title: Chief Financial Officer
 

 

 
Item 1
 
.PRESS RELEASE
New York and Stockholm – 22 July 2008


MILLICOM INTERNATIONAL CELLULAR S.A.

Millicom Acquires Leading Provider of Broadband and Cable TV Services in Central America

New York and Stockholm – 22 July 2008 - Millicom International Cellular S.A. (Nasdaq Stock Market: MICC and Stockholmsbörsen: MIC), the global telecommunications company, today announced that it has agreed to acquire 100% of Amnet Telecommunications Holding Limited (Amnet) for an enterprise value of US$ 510 million. Completion of the acquisition, which is subject to customary approvals, is expected within three months.

Amnet began operations in Central America in 1997 and is owned by private investors. It is the leading provider of broadband and cable television services in Costa Rica, Honduras and El Salvador, provides fixed telephony in El Salvador and Honduras, and provides corporate data services in the above countries as well as Guatemala and Nicaragua. Across its various markets and product offerings, it has in excess of 350,000 corporate and residential customers. In the 12 months ended December 2007, it reported revenue of US$ 143 million and EBITDA of US$ 56 million.

Central America is Millicom’s most important region, accounting for 43% of the group’s worldwide revenue, 55% of EBITDA and 38% of subscribers. At 31st December 2007 Millicom’s business in Central America had 8.8 million subscribers contributing US$ 1.2 billion in revenue and US$ 608 million in EBITDA for the year. Millicom operates under the Tigo brand across Central America and is the number one mobile operator in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.

Marc Beuls, President and CEO of Millicom commented, "This transaction is an important step in the development of our strategy for Central America. There is today a lack of fixed line infrastructure to carry broadband services but customers in these markets are increasingly demanding access to broadband services, and in order to satisfy this demand we are launching 3G services across the region in the second half of 2008. The acquisition of Amnet will bring us in excess of 350,000 high ARPU customers, and also dramatically extend our IP network, thereby enabling us to provide enhanced broadband and cable television in conjunction with our new 3G mobile service.”

Mike Kazma, a founder of Amnet who will continue to support the company as a consultant, stated, “In recent years, Amnet has established a leading franchise in Central America due to the tremendous effort of its employees and the support of its customers. Millicom is ideally placed to take this company to the next stage and to take advantage of the exciting growth opportunities in these markets for broadband and cable TV services.”

CONTACTS

Marc Beuls                                                                                                Telephone:  +352 27 759 327
President and Chief Executive Officer
Millicom International Cellular S.A., Luxembourg

Andrew Best                                                                                                Telephone:  +44 20 7321 5022
Investor Relations
Shared Value Ltd, London
Visit our web site at http://www.millicom.com
 

 

 
 
Millicom International Cellular S.A. is a global telecommunications group with mobile telephony operations in Asia, Latin America and Africa.  It currently has mobile operations and licenses in 16 countries.  The Group’s mobile operations have a combined population under license of approximately 291 million people.

This press release may contain certain “forward-looking statements” with respect to Millicom’s expectations and plans, strategy, management’s objectives, future performance, costs, revenues, earnings and other trend information.  It is important to note that Millicom’s actual results in the future could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements depending on various important factors.  Please refer to the documents that Millicom has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Millicom’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F, for a discussion of certain of these factors.

All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Millicom on the date hereof.  All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Millicom International Cellular S.A., any Millicom International Cellular S.A. employees or representatives acting on Millicom’s behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the factors referred to above. Millicom does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

 

 


 
Item 2
 
 
PRESS RELEASE
New York and Stockholm – July 22, 2008



MILLICOM INTERNATIONAL CELLULAR S.A.

RESULTS FOR THE PERIOD ENDED JUNE 30, 2008
(Nasdaq Stock Market: MICC and Stockholmsbörsen: MIC)


Q2 key figures

58% increase in subscribers for Q2 08 versus Q2 07, bringing total subscribers to 28.5 million*
37% increase in revenues for Q2 08 to $843 million (Q2 07: $613 million*)
34% increase in EBITDA for Q2 08 to $352 million (Q2 07: $263 million*)
29% increase in profit before tax for Q2 08 of $172 million (Q2 07: $134 million*)
33% increase in net profit for Q2 08 of $132 million (Q2 07: $99 million*)
Basic earnings per common share for Q2 08 of $1.22 (Q2 07: $0.98*)
* Excludes discontinued operations


H1 key figures

40% increase in revenues for H1 08 to $1,643 million (H1 07: $1,176 million*)
35% increase in EBITDA for H1 08 to $689 million (H1 07: $511 million*)
36% increase in profit before tax for H1 08 of $359 million (H1 07: $263 million*)
54% increase in net profit for H1 08 of $290 million (H1 07: $188 million*)
Basic earnings per common share for H1 08 of $2.70 (H1 07: $1.86*)
* Excludes discontinued operations

Marc Beuls, CEO of Millicom, commented; "Millicom has continued to grow strongly with 58% growth in subscribers.  Net subscriber additions in Q2 were 2.3 million despite a one-off adjustment of 0.2 million to clean up non-revenue producing subscribers in El Salvador.  Revenue growth continues to be one of the best in the industry with the second quarter year-on-year growth up by 37%.  The net profit of $132 million for the quarter, an increase of 33% year-on-year, reflected the continued strong EBITDA margin of 42% for the business.

“The quarter two results give us confidence in our triple ‘A’ business model as it has enabled us to continue to build our market share and profitability across our markets.  We invested $378 million in capex during the quarter and a total of $643 million in the first half year and, on the basis of the opportunity we see in our markets today, we are raising our year-end 2008 guidance for capex to up to $1.5 billion.  With this investment we believe we can continue to grow penetration in both Africa and Asia and to enhance our offering in Latin America with the launch of broadband services in the second half of the year.
 


 
“The global “credit crunch” and rising inflation worldwide has not to date impacted our businesses in a significant way and we remain optimistic that, given the strong demand for mobile telephony, which is an essential service in our sixteen markets, we will continue to see good growth. However, higher inflation globally has increased the cost of goods which leaves consumers with less disposable income.

“We remain committed to improving affordability for our customers and this will continue to reduce overall ARPUs but the price elasticity that we continue to see in all our businesses will sustain our market leading rates of revenue growth.  Also our continued high rate of subscriber acquisition will help improve our current 42% EBITDA margin as we achieve further economies of scale from higher volumes.



Financial summary for the period to June 30, 2008 and 2007

SUBSCRIBERS (‘000)
 
 
June
30, 2008
   
June
30, 2007
   
Change
   
March
31, 2008
   
FY
2007
       
–  Total (i)
    28,451       17,967       58 %     26,184       23,355        
                                               
–  Attributable (ii)
    24,296       15,287       59 %     22,292       19,853        
                                               
REPORTED NUMBERS
US$ millions
   
Q2
2008
   
Q2
2007 (iv)
   
Q on Q
change
     
H1
2008
   
H1
2007 (iv)
   
H1 on H1
change
 
                                                 
–  Revenues
    842.5       613.4       37 %     1,643.2       1,176.1       40 %
                                                 
–  EBITDA (iii)
    352.1       262.5       34 %     688.5       510.6       35 %
                                                 
–  EBITDA margin
    42 %     43 %             42 %     43 %        
                                                 
–  Net profit for the period
    131.9       98.9       33 %     290.0       187.9       54 %

(i)  
Total subscriber figures represent the worldwide total number of subscribers of mobile systems in which Millicom has an ownership interest.
(ii)  
Attributable subscribers are calculated as 100% of subscribers in Millicom’s subsidiary operations and Millicom’s percentage ownership of subscribers in each joint venture operation.
(iii)  
EBITDA: operating profit before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, is derived by deducting cost of sales, sales and marketing costs, general and administrative expenses from revenues and other operating income.
(iv)  
Excludes discontinued operations
 

 
 
Financial and operating summary

Record revenues of $843 million in Q2 2008, up 37% vs. Q2 2007
 
Record EBITDA of $352 million in Q2 2008, up 34% vs. Q2 2007
 
33% increase in net profit to $132 million in Q2 2008
 
Investments include capex of $378 million for the 2nd quarter 2008 and $643 million for the 1st half 2008
 
Cash and cash equivalents of $904 million at end of H1 2008
 
Cash up-streaming of $153 million in the 2nd quarter 2008 and $243 million in the 1st half 2008
 
Net debt of $901 million with a Net Debt to extrapolated full year EBITDA ratio of 0.7 enabling significant continuing investment
 
Strong subscriber growth of 58% in Q2 2008 with total subscribers at 28.5 million
 
2.3 million net new total subscribers in Q2 2008, net of a 0.2 million clean-up
 
AGM approved the special dividend of $2.40 a share recommended by the Board; dividend was paid on June 9, 2008 to shareholders of record as of June 2, 2008
 
EGM resolved to amend Article 21 (“Procedure, Vote”) of the articles of association of Millicom
 
Review of operations


Financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2008


Subscribers

In Q2, 2008 Millicom added 2.3 million net new mobile subscribers, reaching 28.5 million total mobile subscribers, an increase of 58% versus Q2 2007.

In Africa the two best performing territories in terms of net subscriber additions were Senegal which grew by 83% year-on-year, adding 347 thousand subscribers in the quarter and Tanzania, which grew by 99% year-on-year, adding 248 thousand subscribers in the quarter.  DRC showed impressive year on year growth of 212% to 718 thousand subscribers.

In Central America, Honduras grew its subscriber base by 78% year on year and added 349 thousand subscribers in the quarter. Guatemala grew by 49% year on year and El Salvador by 31%, showing that despite penetration rates of 72% and 87% respectively, these two markets continue to grow strongly.

In South America, total subscribers increased by 42%, with particularly strong increases in Paraguay and Colombia of 50% and 42% respectively.

In Asia subscribers grew by more than 50% year on year with Cambodia growing by 52% and Laos by 82%.

The continued strong growth in subscribers in Q2 2008 reflected the increase in our rate of investment, which has been particularly acute since Q3 2007, in sales and marketing, distribution and in capex.  Our capex forecast has been increased to up to $1.5 billion for the full year compared to $1 billion in 2007.  The prospects for the second half of the year are good as we expect to maintain this high level of capex.



 

 
 
Net additional subscribers (’000)
 
Total
Central Am.
South Am.
Africa
Asia
Q2 2008
2,267
489
448
1,030
300
Q1 2008
2,829
962
571
878
418
Q4 2007
3,403
1,421
588
1,054
340
Q3 2007
1,985
698
449
664
174
Q2 2007
1,452
788
336
145
183


Total revenues, EBITDA and EBITDA margin

Total revenues for the three months ended June 30, 2008 were $843 million, an increase of 37% from the second quarter of 2007. Revenues in Africa, which were up 69%, grew substantially faster as this cluster is growing from a smaller base.  Revenue growth in Asia was 38%.  Encouragingly, in Latin America the businesses grew by 35% in South America and by 26% in Central America.

The Group EBITDA for the three months ended June 30, 2008 was $352 million, an increase of 34% from the second quarter of 2007 and equal to the year on year growth rate achieved in the fourth quarter of 2007.

The EBITDA margin at 42%, though down slightly year on year, was in line with the 42% margin achieved for the full year 2007.  South American EBITDA margins at 32% were well below the Group average as a result of the lower margins in Colombia which were flagged at the year end results for 2007.  As a result of cuts in interconnect rates in Colombia in early December, the EBITDA margin in Colombia remained at 12% as a consequence of Tigo having more incoming than outgoing calls.  It is expected that the margin in Colombia will improve beyond 2008 helped by growing market share and the elasticity in the market.  In Central America, Tigo’s number one position in all three markets and its high markets share, bringing with it a high percentage of on-net calling, enabled it to keep EBITDA margins at a very healthy 55%.  Margins in Asia were 41% compared to 37% in the fourth quarter of 2007.  In Africa margins remained at 31%, having fallen in Q2 and Q3 of 2007 as a result of the large amount of expenditure being incurred rolling out new networks at an accelerated pace.

There has been continuing concern about the rise in food and energy prices in international markets and the impact this might have on demand in emerging market economies which might affect the demand for mobile services.  Millicom’s second quarter results show that we have not seen any major impact although it is of course possible that our business could have grown faster without these inflationary pressures. We believe that mobile telephony is today an essential item in consumers’ spending plans.  However, food and energy price inflation will likely impact the very low ARPU customers first which should give us some warning signs before having any identifiable impact on overall revenues.  Some of Millicom's markets around the world also tend to produce food locally and are mainly self-sufficient, and markets such as Paraguay and Colombia, with big agricultural sectors, have seen the benefits to their economies by exporting at higher prices.
 


 



 
Quarterly YoY Growth
 
Subscribers
Revenues
EBITDA
ARPU ($)
Q2 2008
58%
37%
34%
12.1
Q1 2008
59%
42%
36%
12.7
Q4 2007
56%
41%
34%
13.9
Q3 2007 (i)
55%
46%
44%
14.2
Q2 2007 (i)
61%
48%
48%
13.9
(i)           Subs, Revenues, and EBITDA growth exclude Colombia to be comparable

Total revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2008 were $1,643 million, an increase of 40% from the first half of 2007. Revenues in Africa were up 65%, in Asia revenues were up by 43%, and in Central and South America the increases were 31% and 37% respectively.

The Group EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2008 was $689 million, an increase of 35% from the first half of 2007.  EBITDA growth for Africa was 48%, for Asia it was 39% and for Central and South America it was 34% and 27% respectively.
 


Central America

Central America continues to perform well in more challenging market conditions, adding 0.5 million subscribers in Q2 2008 despite a clean up of the subscriber base in El Salvador during the quarter which meant the churning out of some 0.2 million non-revenue producing subscribers. Without this adjustment Central America would have added over 0.7 million customers compared to net additions of 0.9 million in the exceptionally strong first quarter. This action was taken in El Salvador to ensure that we are fully consistent in applying our strict definition of a subscriber as a customer who has made an income generating call within sixty days, rather than following the less onerous local definition where the release of expired balances is counted as income generation. A tax rate change in Honduras slowed the market in the second quarter.  Central America continues to see the benefits of the move to per second billing in February 2007, which substantially improved the affordability of services and the attractiveness of Tigo as a brand as we continue to execute our successful Triple ‘A’ strategy. We continue to improve accessibility with more points of sales, we increased e-PIN penetration and we extended our value added services (“VAS”) initiative in our key "young and cool" segment of the market as we believe VAS will be an increasingly important part of the income stream alongside our increasing focus on broadband as we react to customer demand for these services.

Central America continues to have high EBITDA margins at 55% which reflect our number one position in all three markets.  This brings a greater percentage of on-net calls, which come with higher margins, and also the economies of scale of a larger business mean that costs are spread over a larger base. With revenue growth of 26% year on year, the markets continue to be good, although with penetration of 87% in El Salvador today the growth rate is lower there than in Honduras and Guatemala. The recent census in El Salvador has shown that the population was lower than had been previously estimated, which means that the penetration rate is higher then expected.

 To date our markets in Central America have not seen any significant effect from the slowdown in the US economy, although we continue to monitor the situation carefully and especially in terms of the remittances being sent back to Central America by overseas workers. At present the statistics that we have seen from the Central Bank suggests that remittances are holding up although not growing at the high rate that they have been growing in the past. However, higher inflation is a reality in Central America and the increased costs of goods will impact disposable income.

Honduras continues to be the fastest growing country in the region as its penetration at 67% is lower than in neighbouring countries and Tigo had over 349 thousand net additions in the quarter. This continued momentum in Honduras is important to consolidate our market leading position ahead of the launch of an additional competitor in the second half of 2008. Guatemala continues to perform strongly with Tigo adding 120 thousand subscribers during the quarter.

Today Tigo has 149 thousand points of sale across Central America which is a 41% increase since Q2 2007 and this market leading distribution network continues to drive the businesses in conjunction with the strong value proposition in terms of price since the move to per second billing in early 2007. In terms of the network Tigo added 614 cell sites in H1 2008 in the three countries and today has a total of 3,510 cell sites across the region.  It is important that Tigo continues to focus on its Triple ‘A’ strategy to drive affordability as competition continues to be strong.

Following our successes with VAS in Paraguay we have been focusing on developing VAS in Central America. After a 121% increase in VAS in Q1, we have seen a year on year 119% increase in VAS in Q2 with growth of 83% in El Salvador, 103% in Honduras and 167% in Guatemala. Central America now has some 15% of recurring revenues from VAS. We also continue to focus on our broadband offer in Central America and expect to launch 3G across the region in the second half of the year and to look at wider broadband options in the coming months.  Today we also announced the acquisition of Amnet Telecommunications Holding Limited which will extend the reach of our business into Costa Rica and Nicaragua and add some 350,000 broadband customers across the five countries in Central America.  This will give Millicom critical mass in this important segment of the market, which we expect to be a major driver of growth going forward.
 

 
 


 
Quarterly YoY Growth
 
Subscribers
Revenues
EBITDA
ARPU ($)
Q2 2008
53%
26%
31%
16.3
Q1 2008
65%
36%
37%
17.4
Q4 2007
71%
31%
28%
19.2
Q3 2007
74%
45%
45%
20.1
Q2 2007
84%
49%
52%
20.2

Central American revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2008 were $682 million, an increase of 31% from the first half of 2007. Central American EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2008 was $375 million, an increase of 34% from the first half of 2007.

 
H1 2008
H1 2007 (i)
Change
Revenues
682
520
31%
EBITDA
375
279
34%
EBITDA margin
55%
54%
 
Capex
160
111
44%
ARPU
16.9
20.7
(18)%
(i)           Excludes discounted operations
 

 
 
South America

Revenues in South America grew by 35% year on year with exceptional performances in Paraguay and Bolivia with revenues up by 68% and 71% year on year respectively, although Colombia continues to be impacted by the halving of interconnect rates in December 2007. Despite this impact, Tigo still achieved EBITDA margins of 12% in Colombia for the quarter and we now expect to see margins in Colombia improve beyond 2008, helped by elasticity and growth. Overall EBITDA margins for South America were 32% and this margin is expected to move up towards the Group average as the Colombian margin improves.

Tigo Colombia added 202 thousand subscribers in the quarter.  It will take Tigo longer as the third operator to get traction in the business as historically the business has been more reliant on incoming interconnect traffic owing to its customer mix and so the halving of the interconnect last year had a negative short term impact on the business. However, a lower interconnect has allowed Tigo to introduce new lower tariffs for across net calling at the end of 2007 and today Tigo offers the best value for money in the market for both on and off net calling. This value proposition will gradually win consumer appreciation especially as our competition have kept higher tariffs across net to the detriment of their customers. e-PIN was launched in Colombia during the first quarter and VAS is also growing strongly, up by 123% year on year.


In Bolivia, Tigo grew revenues by 71% year-on-year as it continues to consolidate its market share and make ground on the market leader so that today Tigo accounts for 36% of the market.  Tigo continues to increase coverage in its network and added 45 new cell sites during the quarter so that Tigo is now well positioned as the number two mobile company challenging the incumbent. In Q2, e-PIN reloads grew by 7% vs. Q1 and e-PIN now represents 27% of total reloads.  VAS revenue grew 228% year on year during Q2 2008 in comparison with Q2 2007, mainly driven by SMS traffic and premium contents and VAS now accounts for 8% of recurring revenue. Broadband subscribers continue to grow strongly and were up 261% in the quarter.


Paraguay’s success continues and again it produced an exceptional performance, increasing its market share to 52% as it rolled out 79 new sites in the quarter and today is extending its advantage as having the best network coverage in the market.  The VAS and broadband businesses grew strongly and now represent 31% of recurring revenues with the majority being VAS, but internet and broadband are becoming increasingly important.  Electronic recharges reached 89% of total recharges, up from 84% in Q1, driven by e-PIN.  Also Tigo's Mini Tariff product, which gives discounted rates for friends & family, continues to reduce customer churn and today over one quarter of the customer base in Paraguay is registered for the product.
 

 
 

 
Quarterly YoY Growth
 
Subscribers
Revenues
EBITDA
ARPU ($)
Q2 2008
42%
35%
25%
12.7
Q1 2008
43%
38%
30%
12.5
Q4 2007
36%
47%
54%
14.2
Q3 2007 (i)
42%
53%
76%
14.1
Q2 2007 (i)
49%
58%
74%
13.4
(i)           Subs, Revenues, and EBITDA growth exclude Colombia to be comparable

South American revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2008 were $486 million, an increase of 37% from the first half of 2007. South American EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2008 was $155 million, an increase of 27% from the first half of 2007.

 
H1 2008
H1 2007 (i)
Change
Revenues
486
355
37%
EBITDA
155
122
27%
EBITDA margin
32%
34%
 
Capex
176
104
69%
ARPU
12.6
13.0
(3)%
(i)           Excludes discounted operations



 
 
Africa

With year-on-year revenue growth of 69%, Africa remains Millicom’s fastest growing region, having taken that title in early 2008. In Q2 the company continued to show strong growth in subscriber additions, adding over 1 million in the quarter and up 92% year on year. The high growth that we are achieving in Africa is exciting for the company as, with 160 million people under license, Africa represents some 55% of Millicom’s potential market and the penetration is still low in all our markets. In terms of subscribers, Senegal, with net additions of 347,000, was the strongest country in Q2, followed by Tanzania with 248,000, DRC with 198,000 and Ghana with 196,000.

EBITDA margins in Africa have now stabilised above 30% as the business in DRC begins to get critical mass and with profitability improving in DRC we can expect to see a gradual improvement in African margins over the medium term towards our average target in the mid 40’s. The EBITDA margin was 30.6% in Q2 as Millicom continues to focus on growth. There is always a balance between growth and margin.

Millicom understands the importance of investing in Africa to establish a strong presence in terms of brand awareness, network and distribution at this early stage in mobile development when penetration rates are relatively low. In Q2 the Africa region was characterized by extensive network expansion and a build up of the capacity required to accommodate the projected growth in the subscriber base. To this end plans are in progress for ambitious fiber transmission projects to enhance capacity and reliability and to bring better services to our customers by adding capacity in all our networks.

Our experience tells us that investment in network gives us a competitive advantage as we are able to promote voice and VAS services through the deployment of innovative pricing initiatives. Our “Xtreme Value”, “all you can eat” voice package in Ghana is accessed by daily SMS subscriptions and utilizes spare network capacity while offering our customers excellent value and driving minutes of use. When Xtreme was used in DRC it resulted in a substantial increase in sales. In Senegal the “Dream” promotion which halved the price of SMSs and offered very attractive prizes contributed significantly to the excellent performance in Q2. We are also working on distribution by introducing Territory Management in all our markets and trying to get the incentives more directly to the points of sale rather than through the sub-dealers, as this improves the responsiveness of dealers at street level and increases activity.

New operators have arrived in DRC and Ghana in recent months. . A third operator is expected to launch in Senegal by the year end once its network is deployed.

Overall we continue to be encouraged by our progress in Africa. The heavy investment in DRC and Tanzania has seen a significant increase in subscribers and market share.  In Tanzania, as the number three operator we now have 22% market share with 1.7 million subscribers and are gaining ground on the two largest operators. In DRC with some 200,000 net additions we are beginning to build momentum in the business and today have 718,000 subscribers. The strong intake in Senegal increased market share to 36.9%. Ghana saw a slower quarter in terms of subscriber acquisitions and the results were impacted by exchange rates and the new tax regime late in the quarter but MOU were up 15% for the quarter.

In Africa inflation is today a factor across our markets and the rising prices of goods, in particular food, means that consumers have less disposable income.  In this climate affordability will be the key to continuing to win market share.
 


 

 
Quarterly YoY Growth
 
Subscribers
Revenues
EBITDA
ARPU ($)
Q2 2008
92%
69%
66%
8.7
Q1 2008
72%
60%
33%
9.3
Q4 2007
66%
57%
34%
9.7
Q3 2007
44%
52%
8%
9.9
Q2 2007
47%
46%
15%
9.5

African revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2008 were $346 million, an increase of 65% from the first half of 2007. African EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2008 was $107 million, an increase of 48% from the first half of 2007.

 
H1 2008
H1 2007 (i)
Change
Revenues
346
209
65%
EBITDA
107
72
48%
EBITDA margin
31%
34%
 
Capex
229
142
62%
ARPU
9.0
9.8
(8)%
(i)           Excludes discounted operations
 


Asia

Asia has performed well in Q2 with subscribers up by 50% to 3.7 million and revenues and EBITDA increasing by 38% and 33% respectively. Today Asia is second only to Africa in terms of top line and EBITDA growth and has an EBITDA margin of 41%. We continue to believe that the growth prospects in Asia, with a population under license of 42 million, are good.

During the quarter we continued to increase our capex in the business and this has enabled us to extend and upgrade our networks. In Cambodia we have aggressive capex plans for the year in excess of $100 million, mainly to be spent on coverage but also to add to capacity. After six months we are on track to complete this network investment. We are optimistic about the prospects for the Cambodian economy as today Cambodia is seeing unprecedented levels of foreign investment mostly into infrastructure, financials and tourism but the discovery of oil and gas off the coast is also a major boost to the economy.  New operators have also entered the telecoms market. However, in the short term Cambodia is being impacted by rising oil prices and the global inflation in food prices which has seen the price of rice double. This clearly impacts the disposable income of middle and lower income consumers.

 In Laos rising oil prices and inflation have prompted the Government to put in price controls so that prior approval is needed to increase or decrease prices. We continue to increase points of sale which today stand at 7,461, or 62% of the outlets of the biggest FMCG company. A variety of promotions have been launched to increase the use of e-PIN and the use of the international gateway and these have led to a 3% increase in market share while quarterly revenues have increased by 88% in Q2 compared to last year.

Sri Lanka continued to perform strongly in Q2 with 152,000 net additions and although revenue growth was below the Asian average of 38%, profitability was good and Sri Lanka continues to operate with EBITDA margins above 50% despite operating with low ARPUs.  This demonstrates that profitability is not dependent on ARPUs in fast growing markets.  A new competitor is about to enter the market but we continue to expand the network, commissioning 120 new sites in the quarter, which gives the coverage and capacity to continue to be aggressive with new promotions.







 
Quarterly YoY Growth
 
Subscribers
Revenues
EBITDA
ARPU ($)
Q2 2008
50%
38%
33%
8.1
Q1 2008
49%
49%
45%
8.7
Q4 2007
46%
43%
27%
8.4
Q3 2007
43%
30%
41%
8.4
Q2 2007
44%
35%
44%
8.7

Asian revenues for the six months ended June 30, 2008 were $129 million, an increase of 43% from the first half of 2007. Asian EBITDA for the six months ended June 30, 2008 was $52 million, an increase of 39% from the first half of 2007.

 
H1 2008
H1 2007 (i)
Change
Revenues
129
91
43%
EBITDA
52
37
39%
EBITDA margin
40%
41%
 
Capex
78
35
123%
ARPU
8.4
8.6
(2)%
(i)           Excludes discounted operations


Comments on the financial statements

A special dividend of $2.40 a share was authorized at the AGM held in May 2008. The dividend was paid on June 9, 2008 to shareholders of record as of June 2, 2008. The Board will consider establishing a recurring dividend in future on the basis of the expected free cash flows, which is EBITDA less interest, taxes and Capex.


Other information

The amounts in the consolidated statements of profit and loss for the quarters and half years ended June 30, 2008 and 2007, the consolidated balance sheets as at June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007, the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the half years ended June 30, 2008 and 2007 and the condensed consolidated changes in equity for the half years ended June 30, 2008 and 2007 are determined based on the principles of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

This report is unaudited.

Millicom’s financial results for the third quarter of 2008 will be published on October 21, 2008.

This year’s investor visit will be held in Paraguay during the week commencing October 27, 2008.


Luxembourg – July 22, 2008

Marc Beuls, President & Chief Executive Officer

Millicom International Cellular S.A
15 rue Léon Laval
L-3372 Leudelange
Luxembourg
Tel : +352 27 759 101
Registration number: R.C.S. Luxembourg B 40.630
 


 
Millicom International Cellular S.A. is a global telecommunications group with mobile telephony operations in Asia, Latin America and Africa.  It currently has mobile operations and licenses in 16 countries.  The Group’s mobile operations have a combined population under license of approximately 289 million people.

This press release may contain certain “forward-looking statements” with respect to Millicom’s expectations and plans, strategy, management’s objectives, future performance, costs, revenues, earnings and other trend information.  It is important to note that Millicom’s actual results in the future could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements depending on various important factors.  Please refer to the documents that Millicom has filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including Millicom’s most recent annual report on Form 20-F, for a discussion of certain of these factors.

All forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information available to Millicom on the date hereof.  All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to Millicom International Cellular S.A., any Millicom International Cellular S.A. employees or representatives acting on Millicom’s behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the factors referred to above. Millicom does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.


CONTACTS

Marc Beuls                                                                                                Telephone:  +352 27 759 327
President and Chief Executive Officer
Millicom International Cellular S.A., Luxembourg


Andrew Best                                                                                                Telephone:  +44 20 7321 5022
Investor Relations
Shared Value Ltd, London

Visit our web site at http://www.millicom.com
 

 
Conference call details

A conference call to discuss the results will be held at 14.00 London / 15.00 Stockholm / 09.00 New York, on Tuesday, July 22, 2008.  The dial-in numbers are: +44 (0)20 7959 6780, +46 (0)8 5051 3807 or +1 718 354 1281 and the pass code is 3827434#.  Please go to our website at www.millicom.com for a copy of the slides to be discussed during the call. A live audio stream of the conference call can also be accessed at www.millicom.com.  Please dial in / log on 5 minutes prior to the start of the conference call to allow time for registration.  A recording of the conference call will be available for 7 days after the conference call, commencing approximately 30 minutes after the live call has finished, on: +44 (0)20 7806 1970 / +46 (0)8 5876 9441 or +1 718 354 1112, access code: 3827434#.



Appendices

Consolidated statements of profit and loss for the three months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007
Consolidated statements of profit and loss for the six months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007
Consolidated balance sheets as at June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007
Condensed consolidated statements of changes in equity for the six months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007
Condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the six months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007
Quarterly analysis by cluster
Total subscribers and market position by country
 



Millicom International Cellular S.A.

Consolidated statements of profit and loss
for the three months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007

   
QTR ended
June 30, 2008
(Unaudited)
US$’000
   
QTR ended
June. 30, 2007
(Unaudited)
US$’000
 
Revenues
    842,509       613,350  
Operating expenses
               
  Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)
    (207,168 )     (164,341 )
  Sales and marketing
    (175,329 )     (106,042 )
  General and administrative expenses
    (107,927 )     (80,466 )
EBITDA
    352,085       262,501  
  Corporate costs
    (12,894 )     (11,910 )
  Stock compensation
    (8,250 )     (5,552 )
  Loss on disposal/Write down of assets, net
    (1,266 )     (506 )
  Depreciation and amortization
    (123,990 )     (84,536 )
Operating profit
    205,685       159,997  
  Interest expense
    (42,157 )     (40,265 )
  Interest and other financial income
    8,162       13,305  
  Exchange loss, net
    (1,703 )     (304 )
  Profit from associated companies
    2,268       1,129  
Profit before taxes from continuing operations
    172,255       133,862  
  Taxes
    (64,742 )     (39,891 )
Profit before discontinued operations and minority interest
    107,513       93,971  
  Gain on sale from discontinued operations
    -        
  Result from discontinued operations
    -       2,653  
  Minority interest
    24,425       4,941  
Net profit for the period
    131,938       101,565  
Basic earnings per common share (US$)
    1.22       1.01  
Weighted average number of shares
outstanding in the period (‘000)
    108,189       100,874  
Profit for the period used to determine diluted earnings per common share
    131,938       105,678  
Diluted earnings per common share (US$)
    1.22       0.98  
Weighted average number of shares and potential
dilutive shares outstanding in the period (‘000)
    108,416       107,908  
 


Millicom International Cellular S.A.

Consolidated statements of profit and loss
for the six months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007

   
6M ended
June 30, 2008
(Unaudited)
US$’000
   
6M ended
June 30, 2007
(Unaudited)
US$’000
 
Revenues
    1,643,212       1,176,051  
Operating expenses
               
  Cost of sales (excluding depreciation and amortization)
    (409,739 )     (315,019 )
  Sales and marketing
    (340,817 )     (198,920 )
  General and administrative expenses
    (204,139 )     (151,534 )
EBITDA
    688,517       510,578  
  Corporate costs
    (24,754 )     (22,144 )
  Stock compensation
    (14,117 )     (10,171 )
  Loss on disposal/Write down of assets, net 
    (2,179 )     (634 )
  Depreciation and amortization
    (234,504 )     (162,698 )
Operating profit
    412,963       314,931  
  Interest expense
    (86,086 )     (79,404 )
  Interest and other financial income
    19,525       25,690  
  Exchange gains, net 
    8,656       240  
  Profit from associated companies
    4,128       1,781  
Profit before taxes from continuing operations
    359,186       263,238  
  Taxes
    (106,612 )     (87,624 )
Profit before discontinued operations and minority interest
    252,574       175,614  
  Gain on sale from discontinued operations 
    -       258,346  
  Result from discontinued operations
    -       506  
  Minority interest
    37,469       12,299  
Net profit for the period
    290,043       446,765  
Basic earnings per common share (US$)
    2.70       4.43  
Weighted average number of shares
outstanding in the period (‘000)
    107,459       100,812  
Profit for the period used to determine diluted earnings per common share
    290,803       454,989  
Diluted earnings per common share (US$)
    2.67       4.22  
Weighted average number of shares and potential
dilutive shares outstanding in the period (‘000)
    109,081       107,720  
 


Millicom International Cellular S.A.

Consolidated balance sheets
as at June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007

   
June 30, 2008
(Unaudited)
US$’000
   
Dec. 31, 2007
 
US$’000
 
Assets
           
Non-current assets
           
  Intangible assets, net 
    453,848       467,502  
  Property, plant and equipment, net 
    2,553,157       2,066,122  
  Investments in associates 
    15,421       11,234  
  Deferred taxation
    104,601       97,544  
  Other non current assets 
    17,230       19,855  
Total non-current assets
    3,144,257       2,662,257  
Current assets
               
  Inventories
    104,683       82,893  
  Trade receivables, net 
    230,603       223,579  
  Amounts due from joint venture partners
    11,421       65,348  
  Prepayments and accrued income 
    99,000       71,175  
  Current tax assets
    9,960       8,982  
  Supplier advances for capital expenditure
    105,522       76,514  
  Other current assets
    48,559       48,481  
  Cash and cash equivalents
    903,993       1,174,597  
Total current assets
    1,513,741       1,751,569  
Total assets
    4,657,998       4,413,826  
 

 

Millicom International Cellular S.A.

Consolidated balance sheets
as at June 30, 2008 and December 31, 2007

   
June 30, 2008
(Unaudited)
US$’000
   
Dec. 31, 2007
 
US$’000
 
Equity and liabilities
           
Equity
           
  Share capital and premium
  (represented by 108,211,364 shares at June 30, 2008)
    640,236       417,352  
  Other reserves
    55,753       45,557  
  Accumulated profits brought forward
    565,032       127,856  
  Net profit for the period/year
    290,043       697,142  
      1,551,064       1,287,907  
  Minority interest 
    48,384       80,429  
Total equity
    1,599,448       1,368,336  
Liabilities
               
Non-current liabilities
               
  Debt and other financing:
               
     Other debt and financing
    1,148,894       945,206  
  Other non-current liabilities
    65,829       55,601  
  Deferred taxation
    43,794       42,414  
Total non-current liabilities
    1,258,517       1,043,221  
Current liabilities
               
  Debt and other financing:
               
     10% Senior Notes
    481,274       479,826  
     4% Convertible Notes – Debt component
    -       178,940  
     Other debt and financing
    174,908       230,319  
  Capex accruals and payables
    506,155       460,533  
  Other trade payables
    252,042       238,252  
  Amounts due to joint venture partners
    2,232       60,914  
  Accrued interest and other expenses
    158,497       128,426  
  Current tax liabilities
    61,497       82,028  
  Other current liabilities
    163,428       143,031  
Total current liabilities
    1,800,033       2,002,269  
Total liabilities
    3,058,550       3,045,490  
Total equity and liabilities
    4,657,998       4,413,826  
 


Millicom International Cellular S.A.

Condensed consolidated statements of changes in equity
for the six months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007

   
June 30, 2008
(Unaudited)
US$’000
   
June 30, 2007
(Unaudited)
US$’000
 
Equity as at January 1
    1,368,336       582,388  
Profit for the period 
    290,043       446,765  
Dividends paid to shareholders
    (259,704 )      
Stock compensation
    14,117       10,171  
Shares issued via the exercise of stock options
    1,409       2,561  
Shares issued via the payment of bonuses
          1,000  
Shares issued under the matching plan
    1,039        
Conversion of 4% Convertible Bonds
    175,179        
Movement in currency translation reserve
    41,074       13,702  
Minority interest
    (32,045 )     (4,864 )
Equity as at June 30
    1,599,448       1,051,723  




Millicom International Cellular S.A.

Condensed consolidated statements of cash flows
for the six months ended June 30, 2008 and 2007

   
June 30, 2008
(Unaudited)
US$’000
   
June 30, 2007
(Unaudited)
US$’000
 
EBITDA
    688,517       510,578  
Corporate costs
    (24,754 )     (22,144 )
Movements in working capital
    7,626       64,058  
      671,389       552,492  
Interest expense paid, net
    (52,690 )     (48,936 )
Taxes paid
    (128,588 )     (101,245 )
Net cash provided by operating activities
    490,111       402,311  
Cash used by investing activities
    (609,832 )     (320,177 )
Cash (used) provided by financing activities
    (162,046 )     79,767  
Net cash from continuing operations
    (281,767 )     161,901  
Cash provided by discontinued operations
          261,639  
Cash effect of exchange rate changes
    11,163       6,912  
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents
    (270,604 )     430,452  
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning
    1,174,597       656,692  
Cash and cash equivalents, ending
    903,993       1,087,144  




 
Millicom International Cellular S.A.

Quarterly analysis by cluster
(Unaudited)

      Q2 08       Q1 08       Q4 07       Q3 07       Q2 07    
Increase
Q2 07 to Q2 08
 
Revenues (US$’000) (i)
                                             
Central America
    342,039       340,127       329,214       300,159       270,520       26 %
South America
    254,104       231,626       239,253       214,795       188,424       35 %
Africa
    180,288       165,573       145,223       121,726       106,425       69 %
Asia (i)
    66,078       63,377       54,513       49,680       47,981       38 %
Total Revenues
    842,509       800,703       768,203       686,360       613,350       37 %
                                                 
                                                 
EBITDA (US$’000) (i)
                                               
Central America
    187,521       187,374       167,707       161,061       143,053       31 %
South America
    82,227       72,441       75,253       79,827       65,717       25 %
Africa
    55,253       51,311       43,969       33,676       33,383       66 %
Asia (i)
    27,084       25,306       20,371       21,416       20,348       33 %
Total EBITDA
    352,085       336,432       307,300       295,980       262,501       34 %
                                                 
                                                 
Total mobile subs at end of period (i)
                                               
Central America
    10,276,014       9,787,361       8,824,924       7,404,211       6,706,098       53 %
South America
    6,912,109       6,463,658       5,892,726       5,304,712       4,855,446       42 %
Africa
    7,579,792       6,549,881       5,672,177       4,618,204       3,954,080       92 %
Asia
    3,682,809       3,383,189       2,964,738       2,624,547       2,451,369       50 %
Total
    28,450,724       26,184,089       23,354,565       19,951,674       17,966,993       58 %
                                                 
Attributable mobile subs at end of period (i)
                                               
Central America
    7,136,452       6,862,247       6,192,972       5,214,233       4,732,442       51 %
South America
    6,912,109       6,463,658       5,892,726       5,304,712       4,855,446       42 %
Africa
    7,393,179       6,359,975       5,489,668       4,443,865       3,793,573       95 %
Asia
    2,854,691       2,606,196       2,277,649       2,027,815       1,905,145       50 %
Total
    24,296,431       22,292,076       19,853,015       16,990,625       15,286,606       59 %

(i)           Excludes discontinued operations



 
 
Millicom International Cellular S.A.

Total subscribers and market position by country
(Unaudited)

Country
 
Equity Holding
   
Country Population (millions) (i)
 
MIC Market Position (ii)
 
Total subscribers (iii)
 
                    Q2 08       Q2 07    
y-o-y Growth
 
Central America
                                   
El Salvador
    100.0 %     7  
1 of 5
    2,316,643       1,767,587       31 %
Guatemala
    55.0 %     14  
1 of 3
    4,169,470       2,807,018       49 %
Honduras
    66.7 %     8  
1 of 3
    3,789,901       2,131,493       78 %
                                           
South America
                                         
Bolivia
    100.0 %     10  
2 of 3
    1,194,052       928,660       29 %
Colombia
 
50.0%+1share
      44  
3 of 3
    3,262,500       2,291,660       42 %
Paraguay
    100.0 %     6  
1 of 4
    2,455,557       1,635,126       50 %
                                           
Africa
                                         
Chad
    87.5 %     10  
2 of 2
    414,576       264,152       57 %
DRC
    100.0 %     67  
3 of 4
    717,784       230,122       212 %
Ghana
    100.0 %     23  
2 of 4
    2,590,209       1,286,947       101 %
Mauritius
    50.0 %     1  
2 of 3
    373,222       321,015       16 %
Senegal
    100.0 %     12  
2 of 2
    1,678,899       918,830       83 %
Sierra Leone
    100.0 %     6  
4 of 4
    103,671       76,567       35 %
Tanzania
    100.0 %     39  
3 of 5
    1,701,431       856,447       99 %
                                           
Asia
                                         
Cambodia
    58.4 %     15  
1 of 4
    1,991,868       1,313,827       52 %
Laos
    74.1 %     6  
3 of 4
    169,067       93,098       82 %
Sri Lanka
    100.0 %     21  
2 of 4
    1,521,874       1,044,444       46 %
                                           
Total subscribers
                      28,450,724       17,966,993       58 %
___________________________________

(i)           Source: CIA The World Fact Book
(ii)           Source: Millicom.  Market share derived from active subscribers based on interconnect
(iii)
Millicom has a policy of reporting only those subscribers that have generated revenues within a period of 60 days, or in the case of new subscribers only those that have already started generating revenues