UPC Ireland reports steady profit growth

UPC IRELAND, which owns multi-faceted communications provider Chorus NTL, has reported steady revenue and profit growth for the third quarter of the year – mainly boosted by a surge in subscriber numbers to its telephony service.

The company – which is ultimately owned by US group, Liberty Global – offers broadband internet, digital television and telephony services here and saw revenue pick up by 1.6% – or by €1 million – to €61.6m for the three months to the end of September. Operating cashflow – a measure of profits – were up, on a year-on-year basis, by 3.4% at €24.5m.

UPC’s total customer base in Ireland covers 697,900 subscribers – 263,500 of whom avail of its digital television product. Some 13,000 broadband customers were added in the third quarter. But it was a 21% quarter-by-quarter/127% year-on-year increase in phone customers to 53,000 that drove the latest set of results.

“Throughout the first nine months of 2009, we’ve continued to expand our triple-play [digital TV, broadband, telephone in one package] network reach so that more customers can avail of our phone service. Looking ahead, we will continue to take all necessary steps to allow us to continue to invest in our upgrade programme,” said UPC Ireland chief executive Robert Dunn.