NTELOS Holdings Corp. Reports Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2012 Operating Results

NTELOS Holdings Corp. Reports Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2012 Operating Results

-Quarterly Net Subscriber Additions of 9,300

-Quarterly Adjusted EBITDA of $33.0 Million

-Company Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.42 Per Share

WAYNESBORO, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- NTELOS Holdings Corp. (the "Company," NASDAQ: NTLS), a leading regional provider of nationwide wireless voice and data communications and home to the "best value in wireless," announced today operating results for its fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2012.

Fourth Quarter Highlights

• Operating revenues for the fourth quarter 2012 increased 11% to $117.4 million, compared to $106.0 million for the same period in 2011;

• Postpay net subscriber additions for the fourth quarter 2012 were 9,200, compared to a net loss of (1,900) for the same period in 2011;

• Subscriber churn for the fourth quarter 2012 improved to 2.8%, compared to 3.4% for the same period in 2011; and

• ARPU for the fourth quarter was $52.78, compared to $48.57 for the same period in 2011.

Full Year 2012 Highlights

• Total net subscriber additions for 2012 were 25,100, compared to a loss of (17,900) for 2011;

• Churn for 2012 improved to 2.9% from 3.5% in 2011, with postpay churn improving to 2.0% in 2012 from 2.4% in 2011; and

• Data ARPU for 2012 rose to $20.00, up $4.14 from $15.86 in 2011, reflecting increased customer adoption of smartphones.

"During the fourth quarter, we experienced significant traction in our retail business, particularly with postpay, as we continued to execute on our strategy to attract and serve high-quality, value-conscious customers. A focus on improving our handset lineup drove substantial growth in smartphone penetration as well as significant gains in ARPU and net adds," said James A. Hyde, CEO of NTELOS Holdings Corp. "During the quarter, we generated net ports of nearly 6,000, our sixth consecutive positive quarter. The fact that we continue to take market share when effectively 100 percent of the population in our footprint already has wireless service demonstrates the competiveness of our offering and the strength of our brand. Throughout 2012, we continued to deliver strong wholesale revenue, driven by growth in both voice and data usage on our network."

Highlights from Operations

• Operating revenues for the fourth quarter 2012 were $117.4 million, up 11% from the fourth quarter 2011. Operating revenues for the full year 2012 were $454.0 million, up 7% compared to the year 2011. The increase in operating revenues reflected an increase in both wholesale and retail revenues;

• Retail revenues, which include subscriber and equipment revenue, increased 13% to $75.1 million for the fourth quarter 2012, compared to $66.3 million for the fourth quarter 2011. Retail revenues for the year 2012 were $285.1 million, compared to $278.1 million for the year 2011;

• Wholesale and other revenue derived primarily from the Company's Strategic Network Alliance with Sprint increased 7% to $42.2 million for the fourth quarter 2012, compared to $39.6 million for the fourth quarter 2011. Wholesale and Other revenues for the year 2012 were $168.9 million, a 17% increase over $144.5 million for the year 2011; and

• Adjusted EBITDA was $33.0 million for the fourth quarter 2012, compared to $34.0 million for the fourth quarter 2011. Adjusted EBITDA was $134.7 million for year 2012, compared to $143.1 million for the year 2011.

Total Subscribers

• Total subscribers were 439,600 as of December 31, 2012, compared to 414,500 as of December 31, 2011;

• Total gross additions for the fourth quarter were 46,200, compared to 41,600 for the same period of 2011. Total net subscriber additions for the fourth quarter were 9,300, compared to a loss of (500) for the same period in 2011; and

• Total gross additions for 2012 were 171,300 compared to 158,100 in 2011. Total net subscriber additions for 2012 were 25,100, compared to a loss of (17,900) for 2011.

Postpay Subscribers

• Postpay subscriber gross additions for the fourth quarter 2012 were 25,100, compared to 20,700 in the fourth quarter 2011 and 22,000 in the third quarter 2012;

• Net postpay subscriber additions were 9,200 for the fourth quarter 2012, compared to a loss of (1,900) in the fourth quarter 2011 and up significantly from a gain of 4,900 in the third quarter 2012;

• Postpay churn for the fourth quarter 2012 was 1.8%, compared to 2.6% in the fourth quarter 2011; and

• As of December 31, 2012, total postpay subscribers were 297,400.

Prepay Subscribers

• Prepay subscriber gross additions for the fourth quarter 2012 were 21,100, compared to 20,900 in the fourth quarter 2012 and 20,400 in the third quarter 2012;

• Net prepay subscriber additions were 100 for the fourth quarter 2012, compared to a gain of 1,400 in the fourth quarter 2011 and net additions of 600 in the third quarter 2012;

• Prepay churn for the fourth quarter 2012 was 4.9%, compared to 5.4% in the fourth quarter 2011; and

• As of December 31, 2012, total prepay subscribers were 142,200.

Mr. Hyde concluded, "In 2012, we delivered strong operating results across the board as our expanding customer base continued to respond positively to our improved distribution and handset selection as well as our relentless focus on savings, simplicity and service. While we anticipate that the wireless industry will remain very competitive in 2013, we will continue to invest in our business to drive growth and generate value for all stakeholders."

Discontinued Operations

The Company completed the separation of its wireless and wireline operations with the spin-off of Lumos Networks Corp. (NAS: LMOS) on October 31, 2011. The wireline results are reflected as Discontinued Operations for all periods presented. As such, the reported operating results reflect the wireless operations of the Company, including certain expenses related to the business separation.

Net Income

Net income after net income attributable to noncontrolling interests was $18.4 million, or $0.86 per diluted share, for the year 2012 compared to a loss of ($23.7) million, or ($1.11) per diluted share, for the year 2011, which included losses of ($45.4) million, or ($2.13) per diluted share, related to discontinued operations.

Declaration of Dividend

On February 25, 2013, the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on its common stock in the amount of $0.42 per share to be paid on April 12, 2013 to stockholders of record on March 14, 2013.

Business Outlook

For the year ending December 31, 2013, the Company expects full year 2013 Adjusted EBITDA to be between $135.0 million and $145.0 million. In addition, the Company expects its full year 2013 capital expenditures to be between $75.0 million and $85.0 million.

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call with investors and analysts to discuss its fourth quarter 2012 results this morning, February 28, 2013, at 11:00 a.m. ET. To participate, please dial 1-888-317-6016, 1-855-669-9657 in Canada and 1-412-317-6016 for international, approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled start of the call. The conference call will also be accessible live on the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at http://ir.ntelos.com.

An archive of the conference call will be available online at http://ir.ntelos.com beginning approximately one hour after the call and continuing until March 7, 2013. A replay will also be available via telephone by dialing 1-877-344-7529, 1-412-317-0088 internationally and entering access code 10024764 beginning approximately one hour after the call and continuing until March 7, 2013.

Non-GAAP Measures

Adjusted EBITDA is defined as net income attributable to NTELOS Holdings Corp. before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, accretion of asset retirement obligations, gain/loss on derivatives, net income attributable to noncontrolling interests, other expenses/income, equity-based compensation charges, acquisition related charges, net income from discontinued operations and costs related to the separation of the wireless and wireline operations.

ARPU, or average monthly revenue per user, is computed by dividing service revenues per period by the average number of subscribers during that period. Please see the footnotes in the exhibits for a complete definition of this measure.

Adjusted EBITDA is a key metric used by investors to determine if the Company is generating sufficient cash flows to continue to produce shareholder value, provide liquidity for future growth and continue to fund dividends. ARPU provides management with useful information concerning the appeal of the Company's rate plans and service offerings and the Company's performance in attracting and retaining high value customers.

Adjusted EBITDA and ARPU are non-GAAP financial performance measures. They should not be considered in isolation or as an alternative to measures determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). Please refer to the exhibits and materials posted on the Company's website for a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial performance measures to the most comparable measures reported in accordance with GAAP and for a discussion of the presentation, comparability and use of such financial performance measures.

About NTELOS

NTELOS Holdings Corp. (NAS: NTLS) , operating through its subsidiaries as "nTelos Wireless," is headquartered in Waynesboro, VA, and provides high-speed, dependable nationwide voice and data coverage for over 439,000 retail subscribers based in Virginia, West Virginia and portions of Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kentucky. The Company's licensed territories have a total population of approximately 7.9 million residents, of which its wireless network covers approximately 6.0 million residents. The Company is also the exclusive wholesale provider of wireless digital PCS services to Sprint Nextel in the Company's western Virginia and West Virginia service area for all Sprint CDMA wireless customers. Additional information about the Company is available at www.ntelos.com or www.facebook.com/nteloswireless and www.twitter.com/ntelos_wireless.

SPECIAL NOTE FROM THE COMPANY REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about our beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such. The words "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "targets," "projects," "should," "may," "will" and similar words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect, among other things, our current expectations, plans and strategies, and anticipated financial results, all of which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Many of these risks are beyond our ability to control or predict. Because of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Furthermore, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake any obligation to update or review any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. There are important factors with respect to any such forward-looking statements, including certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. We advise the reader to review in detail the cautionary statements and risk factors included in our SEC filings, including our most recent Annual Report filed on Form 10-K.

Exhibits:

• Consolidated Balance Sheets

• Consolidated Statements of Operations

• Reconciliation of Net Income Attributable to NTELOS Holdings Corp. to Adjusted EBITDA

• Key Metrics

• ARPU Reconciliation