TBE Tele Leste Cel

4Q04 Results - Tele Leste Celular Participacoes S.A. SAO PAULO, Brazil, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tele Leste Celular Participacoes S.A. - "Tele Leste" (Bovespa: TLCP3 (ON = Common Shares); TLCP4 (PN = Preferred Shares); (NYSE:TBE), announces today its consolidated results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2004 (4Q04 and 2004). R$ milhoes 4Q04 4Q03 2004 2003 Net Operating Revenue 135.4 117.5 487.0 441.4 Total Operating Costs (106.4) (87.5) (377.9) (314.0) EBITDA 29.0 30.0 109.1 127.4 EBITDA Margin (%) 21.4 % 25.5 % 22.4 % 29.0 % Net Result (11.9) (6.6) (34.3) (42.7) Number of customers (thousand) 1,320 1,126 1,320 1,126 Market share (source: Anatel) 42.3 % 55.0 % 42.3 % 55.0 % Net Additions (thousand) 56 101 194 154 Absolute leadership in innovation and variety of services launched on the market. Successful in the differentiation strategy as regards its competitors as a result of the provision of innovating services such as "VIVO Encontra" and "VIVO Agenda". Successful in its high value and corporate market focus. VIVO Empresas program reaches 1.5 million customers after 1 year of existence. TBE's customer base rose 17.2% over last year and 4.4% over 3Q04, recording 1,320 thousand customers. Churn at 3.3% in 4Q04 remained stable in relation to 3Q04, showing the successful customer retention campaigns. ARPU increased by 6.4% in relation to 3Q04, despite the competition exercised by four operators. Post-paid MOU increased by 12.5% and 8.0% in relation to 4Q03 and 3Q04, respectively. EBITDA services margin for 2004, excluding revenues and selling costs of handsets, was 39.6%, 2.7 p.p. higher than the previous year. Net services revenue increased by 20.5% in relation to 4Q03, 3.3 p.p. higher than the increase in the customer base in the same period. Accrued losses decreased by 19.7% in relation to 2003. Productivity increase in 4Q04 was 20.0% and 4.7% in relation to 4Q03 and 3Q04, respectively, showing the growing improvement in operating efficiency. Sustained growth of data revenues, which increased by 101.8% over last year, accounting for 2.3% of the net services revenue in 2004 (for enabled terminals). To download the complete version of the Company's earnings release, please visit our website: http://www.vivo.com.br/ir Tele Leste Celular, along with Telesp Celular Participacoes S.A. (controller of Tele Centro Oeste Participacoes S.A.), Celular CRT Participacoes S.A., and Tele Sudeste Celular Participacoes S.A., make up the assets of the Joint Venture undertaken by Portugal Telecom and Telefonica Moviles, operating under the VIVO brand, Top of Mind in the Brazilian market. On December, 2004 the VIVO Group reached 26 million customers, consolidating its market leadership. DATASOURCE: Tele Leste Celular Participacoes S.A. CONTACT: VIVO Investor Relations, +55-11-5105-1172, or Web site: http://www.vivo.com.br/

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