OKLAHOMA CITY, June 15, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Dobson Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:DCEL) today announced that, in conjunction with its 2004 annual shareholders meeting, the Company is updating several key second quarter operating trends. Dobson's annual meeting of shareholders is scheduled to be held at 9 a.m. CT in Oklahoma City.
Among the key operating trends and events:
-- Gross subscriber additions through May continued to be slower than
expected, although the Company anticipates stronger gross
additions in the second half of the year.
-- Customer churn continues to trend positively, below the target of
2 percent average postpaid churn for the year.
-- The Company's subscriber base is transitioning more quickly than
expected to GSM, based on a high percentage of GSM gross additions
and migrations. As of the close of business on June 14, 2004, more
than 93,000 of the Company's 1.6 million subscribers were on GSM
calling plans, compared with approximately 11,800 GSM subscribers
at the end of March and approximately 40,300 at the end of April.
-- The Company expects that second quarter 2004 average revenue per
unit (ARPU) will be higher than ARPU for the first quarter,
although slightly lower compared with the second quarter last
year. The Company expects stronger ARPU performance in the second
half of the year.
-- Roaming minutes of use (MOUs) in the second quarter appear to be
in line with or slightly ahead of MOUs for the second quarter
last year. In its first quarter earnings conference call, held on
May 11, 2004, the Company stated that second quarter 2004 roaming
MOUs were anticipated to be slightly below those for the same
quarter last year.
-- Finally, the Company expects, through its operating subsidiary,
Dobson Cellular Systems, Inc., to complete the acquisition of the
assets of NPI-Omnipoint Wireless, LLC this week.
Dobson plans to address its guidance on these and other operating metrics when it holds its second quarter earnings conference call, which is planned for 8 a.m. CT (9 a.m. ET) on Tuesday, August 10, 2004. The Company plans to release second quarter earnings the previous afternoon.
Slides from Dobson Communications' 2004 annual shareholders meeting will be posted today on the Company's web site at www.dobson.net, under "Investor Relations, Presentations".
About Dobson Communications
Dobson Communications is a leading provider of wireless phone services to rural markets in the United States. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the Company owns wireless operations in 16 states. The Company serves 1.6 million customers. For additional information on the Company and its operations, please visit its Web site at http://www.dobson.net.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Dobson's plans, intentions and expectations. Such statements are inherently subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks include, but are not limited to, the successful introduction of GSM calling plans in all its markets, availability of handsets, and increased competition. A more extensive discussion of the risk factors that could impact these areas and Dobson's overall business and financial performance can be found in Dobson's reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Given these concerns, investors and analysts should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.