T-Mobile profits fall in UK as it fails to hold on to customers

T-Mobile UK posted half-year revenues up 1.7 per cent to £1.6bn yesterday, including a 360 per cent rise in Mobile Broadband devices and a contract customer base up 0.6 per cent to 3.9 million. But earnings before interest, tax, deductions and amortisation were down by 17.6 per cent to £155m and some 517,000 customers walked away in the period.

"The UK is a mature market, which is very competitive, and T-Mobile has historically been a weak player," one City analyst said. "It added lots of customers last year, particularly towards the end, but they were not good quality and now it is paying the price."