The Dutch cable operator @Home, part of the Zesko Holding, has connected 500,000 digital homes, the company announced today. Last week, the operator also welcomed its 300,000th cable telephony subscriber. Out of about 1.7 million subscribers, digital penetration now stands at just over 29%; telephony take-up is around 17%.
@Home launched its current digital TV service in 2004, but consumer take-up only started last year. During 2006, the number of digital homes grew from 185,000 before the World Cup football tournament to 250,000 after the event. With the current rate of growth, the operator expects the number of digital homes to reach 530,000 before year end. @Home has a retail model in which consumers buy their own set-top box and buy a smart card and subscription from the operator.
