UPDATE KC Expand Fibre Broadband Rollout to 24700 Premises in Hull UK

KC (KCOM Group), which serves Hull and some other parts of East Yorkshire in England with broadband and phone services, has revealed that their superfast fibre optic (FTTP and FTTC) based Lightstream Internet service has now passed 24,700 premises and 5,900 customers have subscribed.

The Q3 financial results suggest that the incumbent telecoms provider is still on course to hit its next goal of 30,000 by the end of 2013 and then 45,000 by March 2015 (here). Come the year 2020 they also hope to have met the target set by Europe’s Digital Agenda scheme (i.e. 100% of households with access to speeds of 30Mbps+ and 50% with access to 100Mbps+).

The latest data also reveals that 20.8k of the premises passed with FTTP/C are residential properties and homes similarly account for the bulk of subscribers (4,700). It’s important to stress that most of KC’s deployment is being dominated by their 350Mbps capable true fibre optic (FTTP/H) network, which is the reverse of BT’s approach where the slower up to 80Mbps hybrid fibre FTTC solution is the priority.

Bill Halbert, KCOM Group’s Executive Chairman, said:

“The half year position is encouraging and represents further good progress towards achieving our strategic ambitions. We continue to invest in support of the competitive position of our brands, our core IT applications and infrastructure and our broadband fibre deployment. While, as expected, this contributes to a short term decline in certain financial metrics, our strategy and plans continue to yield positive results.

We remain confident about the Group’s longer term prospects and success and expect the full year outturn to be in line with market expectations.”

Apparently 94% of KC’s fibre customers are existing subscribers and 90% take a bundled package (i.e. broadband with phone and or TV services). Sadly KC doesn’t breakdown the statistics for all of their Internet customers, which includes Eclipse Internet subscribers, although they do say that more than 67,000+ customers are now on a bundled service.

UPDATE 27th November 2013

KC’s CEO, Kevin Walsh, has confirmed that he plans to retire next year.