Manx Telecom (MANX) tapped into soaring demand for high-speed internet and data by launching a superfast '4G' wireless network, expanding its data centres and rolling out faster broadband last year. But the predominant telco on the Isle of Man stomached listing costs that sent underlying operating profits down 2.8 per cent to £17.6m.
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Healthy uptake of high-speed broadband largely offset falling landline usage, pushing revenues up 1 per cent in the core fixed-line, broadband and data unit. Sales soared 23 per cent at Manx's global solutions division - which caters to 'off-island' clients - due to strong demand for wholesale voice and text, 'smart' SIM cards and machine-to-machine communication.