UPC customer numbers up 10% to top 1m

Communications services company UPC has reported a 10% year-on-year increase in total subscriber numbers to just over the one million mark for the first quarter of this year.

The company, which offers telephone, broadband and digital television services, technically reached the one million subscription milestone at the end of last year, as reported in its 2012 performance update in February.

However, figures for the first quarter of 2013 published yesterday state that 90,000 subscriptions were added between the start of January and the end of March, representing a 10% rise on the same quarter last year and boosting overall customer numbers to just over 1.01 million people.

The company operates the former NTL/Chorus platform.

According to UPC Ireland’s chief financial officer, Carol Grennan: “More households are joining UPC, our existing customers are staying loyal and have responded by rewarding us with more of their business.

“In particular, our consistent approach to investing where it matters most to our customers demonstrates the real benefits of fibre power.”

UPC’s latest figures show a 16% year-on-year increase in broadband customers, to 315,700 people; a 36% annualised rise in telephone subscribers to 254,700 and 382,300 digital television customers.

UPC recently said that it has made strong progress in the corporate sector, with its UPC business unit becoming an increasingly important contributor to the business.

Chief executive Dana Strong said that the company has a real opportunity to help Irish SMEs underpin their growth with reliable and affordable super fast digital services.