third-quarter loss widened as the cost of building its high-speed communications networks offset surging data sales.

Global Crossing's loss applicable to common shareholders was $602.4 million, or 69 cents a share, compared with a loss of $516.2 million, or 62 cents in the second quarter. The company did not provide year-earlier earnings comparisons.

Hamilton-based Global Crossing said its third-quarter revenues were $1.0 billion, up 10 percent from the second quarter revenues of $918.2 million.

Pro forma cash revenues were $1.3 billion, up 46 percent from the third quarter a year ago, and up 4 percent from the second quarter. The pro forma results are adjusted for recent acquisitions and unit sales.

Global Crossing said its recurring EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) was $355 million in the third quarter, which was above many analysts' expectations. EBITDA was adjusted to reflect the sale of its local telephone operations.

The results were released after the stock market closed. Shares of Global Crossing, which have fallen about 63 percent this year, closed at $17-9/16, down 3/8, on the New York Stock Exchange.

Global Crossing, the fifth largest provider of long-distance telephone service in the United States, said cash revenues for its telecommunications services business were $1.2 billion, up 46 percent from a year ago. Cash revenues from data products increased 88 percent from the year-ago quarter to $712 million.

Global Crossing is building a high-speed fibre optic communications network that will serve 27 countries and more than 200 major cities. The financing to build the network was completed with the proceeds of Asia Global Crossing's recent IPO and debt financing. Asia Global Crossing is a joint venture of Global Crossing, Japan's Softbank Corp., and Microsoft Corp.

In September, Global Crossing agreed to sell its GlobalCenter Web hosting unit to Exodus Communications Inc. for about $3.2 billion.