Chile's Entel says 9-mo profits down 4 pct yr/yr

SANTIAGO, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Entel ENT.SN, one of Chile's leading mobile phone operators, said on Monday its profit fell 4 percent during the first nine months of 2009, citing sharply lower mobile interconnection fees.

Entel reported profits of 102.15 billion pesos ($187 million) between January and September, compared to 106.43 billion pesos during the same period in 2008.

"The fall in profits during the first nine months of 2009 compared to the same period a year earlier stem mainly from the 45 percent reduction in mobile interconnection rates applied by the regulatory authority," Entel said in a statement to the bourse regulator, releasing results according to IFRS standards.

During the first nine months of the year, Entel's operational income rose 2.7 percent to 736.42 billion pesos from 717.39 billion pesos a year earlier, the company said. ($1=546.07 Chilean pesos at the end of September)