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Carphone Warehouse has reported an 18 per cent rise in first-half revenues, as the group looks towards a major expansion in the US.

Europe's largest mobile phone retailer said its group revenues climbed to £2.14 billion in the 26 weeks to September 29th, up from £1.81 billion in the previous year.

The company's headline pre-tax profit also jumped to £56 million, compared to the £14 million profit reported for the first half of 2006.

Carphone Warehouse said confidence in its future reflected the decision by its board to increase the level of its interim dividend payment to shareholders by 25 per cent.

The company, which reported a 1.6 per cent increase in like-for-like retail revenues, stressed that it was confident of growing its market share for fixed-line services.

Having acquired AOL's UK internet access business earlier this year, Carphone Warehouse also attracted 215,000 net new broadband customers over the period.

The mobile retailer added that tomorrow's launch of Apple's new iPhone was also likely to stimulate future growth, with the company stressing that it was "delighted" to have been selected as the only independent distributor for the much-hyped product in the UK.

Commenting on the results Carphone Warehouse chief executive Charles Dunstone said:
"We have made good progress across the group in the first half.

"The retail business continues to prosper across Europe, and we are announcing today a major roll-out of our US venture," he added.

Carphone Warehouse has confirmed that it intends to open 1,000 Best Buy mobile stores in the US over the next two years, as part of its joint venture there.