STOCKHOLM, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Mobile telecom equipment maker Ericsson ERICb.ST on Friday said North American sales had declined in the third quarter, highlighting the depth of its crisis with its profit warning last week.
The company also said it would introduce further cost cutting to deal with a weaker mobile broadband market.
"The negative industry trends from the first half of 2016 have further accelerated, impacting Q3 sales, primarily relating to mobile broadband," acting CEO Jan Frykhammar said in a statement.
Ericsson, the world's biggest maker of mobile network equipment, shocked investors last week when it issued the profit warning - reporting an expected 94 percent plunge in quarterly operating profit and tumbling sales.
Ericsson's operating profit in the quarter fell to 0.3 billion crowns ($) from 5.1 billion crowns a year ago, a 93 percent fall, while sales dropped 14 percent to 51.1 billion.