TeamTalk bemoans subsidy to rivals, cuts annual earnings guidance on telco levy

TeamTalk bemoans subsidy to rivals, cuts annual earnings guidance on telco levy
Feb. 27 (BusinessDesk) - TeamTalk, which bought the rural telecommunications provider Farmside last year, has cut its annual earnings guidance, blaming the downgrade on the government-imposed levy to pay for servicing unprofitable customers in remote areas. The Wellington-based company made a net profit of $1.7 million, or 7.2 cents per share, in the six months ended Dec. 31, from $5.4 million, or 23.3 cents, a year earlier. TeamTalk sales slipped 0.8 percent to $16.7 million from a year earlier. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation...