CABLE CONGRESS – AMSTERDAM. Broadband Internet remains a vital part of the cable operator’s armoury. According to Duco Sickinghe, CEO of Belgium’s Telenet, Internet is by far the most important product line and this year revenue from telephony will surpass analogue cable.
Sickinghe said that the purchase of the Flemish Canal+ channels subsequently paid back the investment within nine months. However, the greatest value was in the Internet described by Sickinghe as being the most important pipe into the home in the long term. Telenet prices its 10 MBit/s at €41.95, €2 more than rival Belgacom, but still pulling in a greater amount of subscribers.
Telenet has worked with local broadcasters to create video on demand services, which Sickinghe says have been sufficient to discourage rival services from the broadcasters – SBS uses the C More brand for its VOD content – with buy rates typically reaching 11% on a Monday evening and 16% on a recent wet Sunday.
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