BSkyB keeps broadband on hold for Irish market

BSkyB has not ruled out entering the broadband market in Ireland, but will keep plans to roll out its Sky Broadband product here on ice until significant changes are seen in the market.

Last week saw BSkyB post upbeat group results for its first half – the six months to the end of December – including an 8% year-on-year increase in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to £567 million (€654m), an 11% hike in earnings per share to 14.47p and a 10% rise in interim revenues to just under £2.9bn.

No figures are broken down for Sky’s Irish operations, but the halfway mark of the financial year sees the group covering about 40% of all homes in the Republic with its digital television service. While the communications regulator, ComReg estimates that Sky has 590,000 subscribers in Ireland, the true figure is understood to be in excess of 600,000.