UPDATE 1-Telecom Argentina 9-month profit rises 21.1 pct

(Recasts; Adds details, background)

BUENOS AIRES, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Telecom Argentina SA (TEC2.BA) (TEO.N), one of Argentina's top telephone companies, on Tuesday reported its net profit rose 21.1 percent in the first nine months of 2009, amid a continued increase in sales of Internet and mobile phones.

Telecom said it posted a January-to-September net profit of 1.006 million pesos ($261.8 million), compared with a gain of 218 million pesos a year ago.

Based on the company's first-semester results, the figure shows Telecom Argentina earned 303 million pesos in the third quarter.

The results were below the median forecast in a Reuters survey of four analysts of 346.2 million pesos, with estimates ranging from 332.3 million pesos to 391 million pesos.

The company is controlled by Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI) and an Argentine investor group run by the Werthein family. ($1 = 3.8425 pesos on Sept 30) (Reporting by Walter Bianchi, writing by Vivianne Rodrigues, editing by Maureen Bavdek)