UPDATE KC’s Fibre Optic Broadband Rollout in Hull Grabs 10000 Subs

KC’s on-going efforts to deploy a superfast fibre optic (FTTP/C) broadband network in Hull (East Yorkshire, England), which is called ‘Lightstream’, has passed another milestone after a brief trading statement from parent company KCOM confirmed that 10,000 people had now subscribed to the service.

At the last count KC’s new network, which is dominated by their ‘up to’ 350Mbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP/H) network with only a small amount of slower hybrid Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC), had passed 32,000 homes and businesses with 9,000 customers connected; 28% take-up (here). The current goal remains to reach a total of 45,000 homes and businesses (premises passed) by March 2015.

KC Trading Update

During the first half year of the financial year, the Group has performed in line with expectations, with continued strong cash generation.

As part of its investment in super-fast, fibre-based broadband in Hull and East Yorkshire, the Group has recently secured its 10,000th “Lightstream” customer. The Group continues to progress its strategy of focusing on key target markets and will give a further update on its fibre deployment and other initiatives at the interim results.

The cash generative capacity of the Group means it is able to continue with its progressive dividend policy while investing in those areas that support the Group’s ambition to achieve leadership positions in all its target markets.

Unfortunately the new trading statement doesn’t reveal how many premises have been passed by KC’s FTTP/C network, which would be necessary to assess their progress since May 2014. We have asked for an update but it’s likely that such detail will not be forthcoming until their full financial statement is released on 25th November 2014. KC’s financial updates also have a habit of failing to reveal their overall broadband subscriber figures, which would include Eclipse Internet.

However it’s important to reflect that KC’s deployment has tended to see uptake of well above the 20% mark, which is somewhat better than BT’s FTTC dominated national UK roll-out has been able to achieve. On top of that KCOM has already secured a £200m finance package, which among other things will be used to help boost their Lightstream deployment.

UPDATE 9:26am

We’ll need to wait a little longer to get the very latest premises passed figures, but KC has at least responded to provide us with some slightly more recent data. At the end of June 2014 their fibre broadband network had become available to 35,421 (premises passed), with 9,195 subscribed (uptake of around 26%).