MTNL reports Q3 net loss of Rs 780.83 crores

State-run telecom firm MTNL on Thursday reported a standalone net loss of Rs. 730.83 crores for the third quarter ended December 31, 2014. The company had reported a net profit of Rs. 428.03 crores in the corresponding quarter last fiscal, MTNL said in a filing to the BSE. The telecom operator, which provides services in Delhi and Mumbai, had reported a net profit for the same quarter last year mainly on account of exceptional income of Rs 1,404.88 crore. The company’s total income for the October-December quarter stood at Rs. 816.92 crores as compared to Rs. 853.39 crores a year ago. The employee costs for the company stood at Rs. 628.67 crores while licence fees and spectrum charges amounted to Rs. 61.35 crores for the reported quarter. MTNL said broadband subscribers as on December 31, 2014 stood at 1.183 million. “Despite the fact that MTNL provides broadband services only in Delhi and Mumbai, it has consistently been the third largest broadband service provider in the entire country,” it said. The company has deployed adequate capacity for mobile and broadband connections to meet the demand, MTNL added. Shares of the company closed at Rs. 28.30 apiece, up 2.72 percent on the BSE. PTI