SWISSCOM TURNOVER TO SEPTEMBER UP 4.6%.

The Swiss telecommunications operator Swisscom has announced a turnover of 7.656 billion Swiss Francs (USD5.5 billion) for the first nine months of 1998, a 4.6% increase on the corresponding period last year. The mobile telephony sector, in which Swisscom will continue to enjoy a monopoly until the end of the year, has shown the sharpest improvement with turnover up 30.5% to SF1.284 billion. Of a total Swiss population of 7.1 million, 1.471 million had subscribed to the mobile service by September 30, a 56.8% increase on the previous year, representing a penetration rate of 20.6%. The sharp increase in subscribers has been offset by a reduction in charges, with monthly rates down 18.3% to SF98.8. The traditional telephony sector in Switzerland yielded a turnover of SF4.897...