Regional Bell operating company Ameritech Corp claims that the 10.8% profits growth for its second quarter reported Tuesday (CI No 3,204) is its 15th consecutive quarter of double digit growth – the longest sustained double digit growth among major US telecommunications outfits. Of course, its profits boast only stands if you exclude a one-time charge of $87m for workforce restructuring at Belgian telecommunications company Belgacom NV. The company says it added 148,000 cellular customers in the quarter and 344,000 customers over the six month period, bringing the total number of its cellular customers to 2.9 million. It also added 122,000 security monitoring customers. The company, which has focused on local and cellular business in the five- state Great Lakes regions of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin, says it is aggressively pushing to enter the long distance business, but is being held back by regulatory red tape. Ameritech applied to the Federal Communications Commission for approval to provide long distance services in Michigan on May 21, and expects to hear the result on August 19. Further applications are to follow. The company also added 13 new cable television franchises in the quarter, bringing its total up to 42, covering a population of more than 2 million.
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