The slow drop in fixed broadband customers continues at O2/Be, though a drop of 2,500 is not exactly massive in the financial results for the 1st quarter of 2012. Though as most of the other large providers are showing reasonable levels of subscriber growth, it is clear O2/Be are not attracting the new fixed broadband customers. The number of fixed broadband customers now standing at 617,800.
The drop in retail customers, was actually offset by the growth in wholesale access, which saw an addition of 4,700 customers to 31,400 subscriptions. The fixed telephone service is proving very popular though, growing just under 100,000 lines since the last quarter to 315,800.
No mention of finance or commitment to network upgrades or any date for selling the Openreach FTTC was in the financial statement. Fibre services are mentioned in other countries, Brazil has some 70,000 using fibre services, VDSL in Chile and 177,000 fibre customers in Spain (15% take-up) where Telefonica is the incumbent.
I expect that figure to be well increased next quarter as now O2/Be have said that there won't be any fibre till 2013 at the earliest.Users who are hanging on for fibre might just decide enough is enough and go elsewhere,I for one am doing come July when my contract expires.I can't/don't want a 2.5mb connection for ever.