Dutch telco KPN reports 4.5% rise in Q1 core profit

FILE PHOTO: The KPN logo is seen at the telecoms company's headquarters in Rotterdam, Netherlands, January 30, 2019. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch telecom company KPN said on Friday its core profit increased 4.5% in the first three months of the year, driven by growing demand from consumers and businesses.

The largest Dutch telecom provider ended years of sales decline last year, and in the first quarter of this year posted a 2% rise in revenue to 1.31 billion euros ($1.38 billion).