MOSCOW - Russian regional fixed-to-mobile telecom operator UralSvyazInform said on Monday its 2008 net profit rose by 10.4 percent, helped by growing sales of mobile and Internet services.

The company, which operates in the Ural Mountains area, said earnings to International Financial Reporting Standards totalled 2.5 billion roubles ($80 million) compared with 2.3 billion roubles in 2007.

Sales increased 3.9 percent to 40.7 billion roubles. Of the total, revenues from Internet services amounted to 5.2 billion roubles, having increased 49.6 percent from 2007.

Revenues from mobile services rose 5.5 percent to 13.2 billion roubles, equal to 32.3 percent of total sales. Share of Internet services rose to 12.9 percent of sales from 8.9 percent in 2007, the company said in a statement.

UralSvyazInform, controlled by the state holding company Svyazinvest, also said earnings before interest, taxation, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose 6.4 percent for an EBITDA margin of 33.9 percent, up from 33.1 percent in 2007. ($1=31.15 ROUBLE)

(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; editing by Simon Jessop)

Russia