(Telecompaper) The 3 Group reported revenues up 3 percent in 2012 to HKD 58.71 billion, while EBITDA improved 15 percent to HKD 9.21 billion. The mobile operator's EBIT doubled, to HKD 3.15 billion from HKD 1.57 billion in 2011. Parent company Hutchison Whampoa said the strong improvement was thanks to leading positions in the smartphone and mobile data segments. 3 posted double-digit revenue growth in most countries, with the UK up 9 percent and only Denmark lower, down 10 percent. The group's customer base rose 9 percent in 2012 to 23.519 million at year-end, including 648,000 net additions in Q4 alone, while data traffic surged to 247.3 petabytes from 154.9 in 2011. Capex totaled HKD 11.35 billion in 2012, while operating cash flow (EBITDA - capex) was a negative HKD 2.13 billion. In 2013, 3 will continue to focus on acquiring high-margin customers and upselling existing customers to more higher-margin plans, while also further moving away from subsidised handsets. Strict cost control with a view to achieving maximum operational leverage also remains a priority, the company said. This, along with the acquisition of the Orange Austria activities, should lead to further improvement in results this year, the group said.