Global Crossing Reports GCUK’s Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2010 Results

LONDON, April 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Crossing Limited (Nasdaq: GLBC), a leading global IP solutions provider, today announced fourth-quarter and full-year 2010 results for its subsidiary, Global Crossing (UK) Telecommunications Limited (GCUK).

Highlights

For the fourth quarter of 2010, GCUK generated revenue of 83 million pounds and Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization (OIBDA) of 18 million pounds.  (OIBDA is a non-GAAP measure defined and reconciled below.)  The company also reported net cash provided by operations of 10 million pounds.  For the full year, GCUK generated revenue of 314 million pounds and OIBDA of 70 million pounds.

“GCUK reported solid results in 2010, with an increase of three percent year over year in GCUK’s ‘Invest and Grow’ revenue,” said John Legere, Global Crossing’s chief executive officer. “We continue to position the business strategically for long-term growth through investments in sales resources and enhanced capabilities to deliver value-added IP, Ethernet, data center and managed solutions.”

Fourth Quarter Results

GCUK generated revenue of 83 million pounds in the fourth quarter, a sequential increase of 10 percent and a year-over-year increase of 6 percent.  The sequential and year-over-year increases were primarily due to a non-recurring benefit of 4 million pounds from the completion of a customer contract and 5 million pounds from the sale of equipment in connection with a new contract for managed services.  

Gross profit was 31 million pounds for the quarter, a sequential increase of 3 million pounds and a year-over-year increase of 4 million pounds.  The sequential and year-over-year improvements were primarily driven by 4 million pounds of margin associated with the previously mentioned contract completion and equipment sale.  

GCUK’s OIBDA for the fourth quarter was 18 million pounds, compared to 16 million pounds in the third quarter of 2010 and 16 million pounds in the fourth quarter of 2009.  The sequential and year-over-year improvements were driven by improvements in gross profit.  

GCUK recorded a net loss of 2 million pounds for the fourth quarter, compared with a net profit of 3 million pounds in the third quarter of 2010 and a net loss of 2 million pounds in the fourth quarter of 2009.  The sequential decrease in net profit was primarily due to unfavorable foreign exchange impacts on net U.S. dollar-denominated debt, partially offset by the improvement in OIBDA.

Full Year Results

GCUK generated revenue of 314 million pounds in 2010, compared with 309 million pounds for 2009.  The year-over-year increase in revenue was due to growth in the company’s strategic “Invest and Grow” services including the previously mentioned contract completion and equipment sale, partially offset by declines in wholesale voice revenue.

Gross profit for 2010 was 117 million pounds, or 37 percent of revenue, compared with gross profit of 112 million pounds, or 36 percent of revenue in 2009.  The year-over-year increase in gross profit was principally due to margin associated with the previously mentioned contract completion and equipment sale and lower depreciation and amortization in 2010, partially offset by the benefit in 2009 from a favorable regulatory ruling.

GCUK’s OIBDA for 2010 was 70 million pounds, compared with 66 million pounds in 2009.  The year-over-year increase in OIBDA was due to higher gross margin.

GCUK recorded net loss of 7 million pounds for 2010, compared with net profit of 5 million pounds in 2009.  The year-over-year decrease was primarily due to an unfavorable foreign exchange impact on net U.S. dollar-denominated debt in 2010.

Cash and Liquidity

As of December 31, 2010, GCUK had cash and cash equivalents of 49 million pounds, compared with 42 million pounds on September 30, 2010, and 37 million pounds on December 31, 2009.  

GCUK’s cash and cash equivalents increased 7 million pounds in the fourth quarter.  Net cash provided by operating activities during the fourth quarter totaled 10 million pounds, after cash provided by operating working capital of 16 million pounds and interest payments of 16 million pounds.  During the quarter, GCUK recorded purchases of property, plant and equipment of 2 million pounds and principal payments on finance leases and other debt of 1 million pounds.

GCUK’s cash and cash equivalents increased by 12 million pounds during 2010.  Net cash from operating activities during 2010 totaled 16 million pounds, including cash used in operating working capital of 7 million pounds and interest payments of 34 million pounds.  During 2010, GCUK recorded purchases of property, plant and equipment of 16 million pounds and principal payments on finance leases and other debt of 8 million pounds.  In 2010, GCUK also borrowed 13 million pounds from Global Crossing Europe Limited, a subsidiary of Global Crossing Limited.

International Financial Reporting Standards

GCUK’s results reported here include audited consolidated financial results for the year ended December 31, 2009; unaudited consolidated financial results for the year ended December 31, 2010 and the three months ended December 31, 2009, September 30, 2010 and December 31, 2010; the unaudited consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2010; and audited consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2009, all in accordance with IFRS and in pounds sterling, as published by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).  GCUK’s results for the fourth quarters of 2010 and 2009 and the third quarter of 2010, as well as those for the full years 2010 and 2009, were included in Global Crossing’s consolidated results previously reported on February 22, 2010, in accordance with U.S. GAAP and in U.S. dollars.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Consistent with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Regulation G, the attached tables include a definition of OIBDA, as well as a reconciliation of such measure to the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with IFRS.

Conference Call

On April 11, 2011, Global Crossing announced it has entered into a definitive agreement with Level 3 Communications, Inc. (“Level 3”) under which Level 3 will acquire Global Crossing.  Pending completion of the acquisition, Global Crossing will continue to issue quarterly releases of GCUK financial results and make periodic filings with the SEC as may be required by law or under the applicable indenture for the notes issued by Global Crossing (UK) Finance Plc.  However, management has decided to discontinue conducting separate quarterly conference calls to discuss GCUK’s standalone financial results.

ABOUT GLOBAL CROSSING

Global Crossing (Nasdaq: GLBC) is a leading global IP, Ethernet, data center and video solutions provider with the world's first integrated global IP-based network. The company offers a full range of data, voice, collaboration, broadcast and media services delivered with superior customer service.

Global Crossing provides services to enterprises (including approximately 40 percent of the Fortune 500); government departments and agencies; and 700 carriers, mobile operators and ISPs. It delivers converged IP services to more than 700 cities in more than 70 countries, and has 17 world-class data centers in major business centers around the globe.

Please visit www.globalcrossing.com for more information about Global Crossing.

Website Access to Company Information

Global Crossing maintains a corporate website at www.globalcrossing.com, and you can find additional information about the company through the Investors pages on that website at http://investors.globalcrossing.com. Global Crossing utilizes its website as a channel of distribution of important information about the company. Global Crossing routinely posts financial and other important information regarding the company and its business, financial condition and operations on the Investors web pages.

Visitors to the Investors web pages can view and print copies of Global Crossing's SEC filings, including periodic and current reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, and in respect of GCUK’s Forms 20-F and 6-K, as soon as reasonably practicable after those filings are made with the SEC. Copies of the charters for each of the standing committees of Global Crossing's Board of Directors, its Corporate Governance Guidelines, Ethics Policy, press releases and analysts presentations are all available through the Investors web pages.

Please note that the information contained on any of Global Crossing's websites is not incorporated by reference in, or considered to be a part of, any document unless expressly incorporated by reference therein.

This press release contains statements about expected future events and financial results that are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially, including: the failure to occur of any condition to the closing of the acquisition of Global Crossing by Level 3, including the failure to obtain a required approval or the experiencing of a material adverse effect by either company; the failure to achieve expected synergies from the acquisition; the impact on the business of current global economic conditions and volatility in global credit markets; the impact on the business of the tightening of budgets by UK government agencies, including significant customers of GCUK; the availability of future borrowings in an amount sufficient to pay our indebtedness and to fund our other liquidity needs; increased competition and pricing pressures resulting from technology advances and regulatory changes; competitive disadvantages relative to competitors with superior resources; the concentration of revenue in a limited number of customers, and the rights of such customers to terminate their contracts or to simply cease purchasing services thereunder; foreign exchange risks; the influence of the company’s parent, and possible conflicts of interest of the parent or of certain of GCUK’s directors and officers; our ability to raise capital through financing activities in an amount sufficient to pay our indebtedness and to fund our other liquidity needs; and other risks referenced from time to time in GCUK’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Global Crossing undertakes no duty to update information contained in this press release or in other public disclosures at any time.

CONTACT GLOBAL CROSSING:

Press Contact
Michael Schneider
+ 1 973 937 0146
[email protected]

Analysts/Investors Contacts
Mark Gottlieb
+ 1 800 836 0342
[email protected]

Gino Mathew
United Kingdom
+ 1 973 937 0133
[email protected]

IR/PR1

5 Schedules to Follow

Schedule 1:  Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

Schedule 2:  Consolidated Statements of Operations

Schedule 3:  Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Schedule 4:  Summary of Consolidated Revenues

Schedule 5:  Reconciliation of OIBDA to Net Profit/LOSS

SOURCE Global Crossing