Cable TV Take-Up Rises Again

The amount of people taking up cable television subscriptions has risen for the ninth successive quarter, according to the latest figures from the Independent Television Commission (ITC). During the final quarter of 1999 the penetration rate rose to 25.7% of all homes passed and marketed by broadband cable operators.

A total 13.5% of all TV homes subscribe to cable television, compared to 12.9% in the previous quarter (see Over One In Four Choose Cable Television).

The rate of take-up of cable services as a whole, however, has dropped. Of the homes passed and marketed for cable services during the period, connection rate to either television or telephony, or both, fell from 35.6% to 35%.

NTL still has the highest penetration rate of the main players in the cable industry; 31.3% of the 3.6 million homes passed for its services subscribe to cable TV. Telewest has the highest number of homes passed for its services at 4.4 million. A total 21.1% of the 4.3 million homes passed for Cable & Wireless services are connected to cable TV.

The merger between CWC and NTL has been referred to the Department of Trade & Industry (see Competition Commission Reports On NTL/CWC Merger) and is still awaiting approval.

Subscribers can access the Cable & Satellite database by selecting “Cable & Satellite” from the drop-down box at the top of this page.

Independent Television Commission: 020 7306 7743