BSkyB Tops 2.085 Million Sky Broadband UK ISP Customers

BSkyB ( Sky Broadband ) has released its latest set of quarterly results to 31st March 2009. The groups broadband service saw a slight decline in quarterly uptake by adding +130,000 new customers to its service, which compares with +163,000 during Q4-2008. However this is still strong growth and helped to take their total broadband base from 1,955,000 in Q4 to 2,085,000 now.

Jeremy Darroch, Chief Executive, said: "At the same time as enjoying great entertainment, more customers save on their household bills when they switch their broadband and telephony services to Sky. 15% of our customers now take all three of TV, broadband and telephony, up from 9% a year ago. In little over a year from launch, we have added 673,000 line-rental customers, saving customers even more money. Strong growth in customers and ARPU has seen revenue increase by 7%.

Looking ahead to the rest of calendar 2009, we expect conditions to remain challenging. In this environment, and at a time when people are spending more time at home, we will continue to provide our customers great entertainment and moneysaving broadband and telephony. At the same time, we will stay focused on cost efficiency to allow us to invest sensibly in areas that drive long-term value for the business, such as high definition, with the objective of emerging stronger from the downturn."

Reported revenue of £3,996 million (2008: £3,706 million) includes £265 million related to Sky Broadband and Sky Talk and £151 million related to Easynet. Reported operating profit of £622 million includes losses attributable to Sky Broadband and Talk of £107 million and a £19 million loss from Easynet.

Interestingly there was no mention of any progress on Sky's plans to move their broadband service from a shared to fully unbundled (LLU) platform by the second half of 2009, which would help them to cut costs and could make it more difficult for customers to leave.

Source : http://www.ispreview.co.uk