CABLE CONGRESS 2009 – BERLIN. Cable showed particular strong growth in Central and Eastern Europe as well as in Germany, according to the latest figures presented by Cable Europe. Total cable revenues rose 7% to €18 billion, as compared to €16.9 billion the previous year.
Digital cable TV showed a 33% growth from 13.5 million homes to 18 million in the past year. In Eastern Europe, the growth was “stellar”: up 169% to 1.6 million from 613,000. Overall, 29% of all European cable subscriptions are now digital. Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland recorded the biggest increases.
In all of Europe, cable internet grew 17% (18.3 million up from 15.7 million); Eastern Europe recorded a growth rate of 24% (3.8 million up from 3 million). In Germany, cable internet showd double digit growth, with a 17% rise in the number of subs.
Likewise, cable telephony in Europe went up 19%, from 12 million to 14 million. In Eastern Europe the percentage was 27% up, from 1.6 million to 2 million.
DOSCIS 3.0 roll-out is now well under way. Nine country had employed the high speed access service, the UK, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. This year, roll-out will continue in Ireland, France, Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia and Romania.
