Esat Digifone has taken in more than £100 million in revenue sales since its launch 17 months ago and now has a 29 per cent share of the Republic's total mobile phone market, the company said yesterday. Digifone described itself as the second largest telecommunications company in the State, and said that, by market share, it was the most successful second mobile phone operator in Europe.

The company said its share had increased to 29 per cent of the total mobile market, up from 24 per cent in April this year, and 40 per cent of the GSM market, up from 38 per cent. Esat Digifone offers customers only a GSM service, while its rival, Eircell, sells both GSM and the older analogue phones.

Expressing delight at passing the £100 million sales mark, the company's chief executive, Mr Barry Maloney, said mobile phone usage continued to grow rapidly in the Republic. "We confidently believe that there will be in excess of 1.8 million mobile users in Ireland by the year 2003," he said.