BRASILIA, Brazil, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Brasil Telecom Participacoes S.A. (BOVESPA: BRTP3/BRTP4; NYSE: BRP) registered consolidated gross revenue of R$17,007.1 million in 2008, up by 6.3% year-on-year. Consolidated net income came to R$782.2 million, 16.2% up on 2007 and equivalent to R$ 2.1579 per share.

EBITDA reached R$3,936.7 million in 2008, and EBITDA margin came to 34.8%. Operating costs and expenses (excluding depreciation/amortization) totaled R$1,939.2 million in the 4Q08, a reduction of 2.7% in comparison with the 4Q07.

BrT Movel's net service revenue totaled R$11,139.6 million in 2008, 2.3% higher than 2007. BrT Movel's EBITDA came to R$177.3 million in 2008, 245.2% higher than the previous year.

At the end of 2008, Brasil Telecom's mobile telephony client base reached 5.6 million users in service, a growth of 31.5% in comparison with 2007. Broadband users totaled 1.8 million in the 4Q08, 15.2% up on the previous year.

In 2008, the number of lines in service (LIS) totaled 8.1 million, a growth of 1.2% in comparison with 2007.

Consolidated investments came to R$1,097.6 million in the quarter, 80.3% up on the previous year. Of this total, R$709.3 million went to wireline and R$388.4 million went to mobile telephony.

Consolidated net debt totaled R$1,371.5 million, a growth of R$862.8 thousand in comparison with 2007. The year-on-year net debt increase was chiefly due to the payment of dividends/interest on equity and the reduction in working capital.

    Brasil Telecom Contacts:
    Media
    Suzana Santos
    55 (21) 3131-1211
    suzana.santos@oi.net.br
    Investors
    55 (21) 3131-1211
    invest@oi.net.br

The full version of the 4Q08 earnings release is available on Brasil Telecom's IR website: www.brasiltelecom.com.br/ir

SOURCE Brasil Telecom Participacoes S.A.