CEO's review 

The CEO´s review has been published in DNA Plc’s Business Review for Q1/2026 which was released on 28 April 2026

Weak economic prospects and rising energy prices have undermined the confidence of consumers and businesses. In addition, high unemployment and numerous bankruptcies have made demand cautious. Geopolitical uncertainty and rapid changes in the market environment have required heightened vigilance and preparedness at the beginning of the year. At the same time, competition in the operator market continued to be exceptionally fierce during the first quarter, particularly in consumer business.

Despite the demanding operating environment and exceptionally intense competitive situation, DNA performed reasonably well at the beginning of the year, which demonstrates the essential role of our services in the everyday lives of consumers and businesses. DNA’s revenue and service revenue remained stable compared with the corresponding period last year. Revenue amounted to EUR 274 million (275) and service revenue to EUR 217 million (218). Comparable service revenue (+1.1%) and EBITDA (before other income and expenses) (+1.2%) improved, particularly considering the transfer of DNA’s IoT business to another Telenor Group company. EBIT increased in the first quarter and amounted to EUR 55 million (48). The number of mobile subscriptions remained stable at 2,790,000 (2,792,000), while ARPU also remained at the same level compared with the previous year at EUR 19.6 (19.6). The number of fixed broadband subscriptions increased to 709,000 (695,000). The number of TV subscriptions decreased as expected.

DNA’s 5G population coverage has for a long time already been close to 100% of permanent addresses in Finland, and the network has continued to be developed and improved during this year. Data traffic volumes and demand continue to grow, while expectations for connectivity are increasing. DNA is the only operator participating in the University of Oulu–led 6G Rocket project, which develops AI based radio networks (AI RAN) and tests future 6G solutions together with world class partner organizations. In January, we closed our last landline exchange in Lahti, marking the end of over 140 years of copper networks at DNA. We ensure continuity of data transmission also in a tightened security environment by utilizing several independent subsea and terrestrial connections from Finland to abroad.

Currently, Finland is subject to a very significant number of different scam attempts, which requires continuous efforts to protect our customers’ information security. In February, we reported that during the previous year we blocked a total of more than 8.5 million scam attempts. These consisted of over 4.2 million scam calls and nearly 4.4 million scam text messages. We also reported on the cooperation model introduced last year by operators and banks, which enables rapid blocking of traffic to scam websites. The cooperation aims to mitigate the impact of scam messages.

In March, we reported on the progress of our sustainability programme. During 2025, progress was made across all programme areas. We promote the circular economy through, among other things, DNA Vaihtokapula, an online store focused on used phones, and the DNA Service Device (DaaS) model for business customers. In 2025, the recycling rate of mobile devices increased to 14%, up from 7.2% in the previous year. The percentage is always calculated in relation to the number of new mobile devices sold during the year. We are seeking greater scalability for our circular economy operations and therefore integrated the Vaihtokapula brand more closely into DNA at the beginning of the year.

Jussi Tolvanen
CEO