Cable network operators overtake Swisscom in terms of TV customers
Swiss cable network operators have overtaken Swisscom in the TV business. Their share of broadband Internet and mobile communications also increased significantly, according to the industry association Suissedigital on Thursday.
However, the figures for 2021 are only comparable with those of previous years to a limited extent. As a result of the merger of Sunrise and UPC, Sunrise customers are now also included in the association. As a result, the number of customers increased significantly in all areas.
TV business with problems despite increase
In the core business of television, Suissedigital members were able to expand their market share to 55. The number of customers rose by around 90,000 to 2.13 million. The association thus left Swisscom behind with a share of 41 percent. By comparison, Swisscom was able to slightly increase the number of its TV customers to around 1.6 million in 2021. Salt came to a share of 4 percent in 2021, according to the association.
The figures for TV customers of Suissedigital members are difficult to compare with the previous year, as Matthias Lüscher, Head of Public Relations, said at the request of AWP. Thus, the customer figures of Sunrise and UPC were consolidated in the calculation. The slight gains were attributable to Sunrise.
In the case of the other association members, the customer decline of previous years continued, Lüscher added. The decline was roughly at the level of 2020, i.e. slightly less than 100,000 customers.
Internet and telephony grow significantly
Suissedigital members also made up considerable ground in broadband Internet. The number of customers rose by 570,000 to around 1.7 million. In addition to the addition of Sunrise, customers were also gained through the expansion of broadband Internet services and infrastructures, according to the association. The market share rose to 44 percent. However, Swisscom remains the market leader in high-speed Internet with a share of just over half.
The number of customers for mobile telephony literally exploded to 3.1 million from around 350,000 in the previous year thanks to Sunrise's contribution. Previously, only the association members Netplus, UPC and Quickline had launched their own mobile offerings. Sunrise also added around half a million fixed-network telephony customers to the association's network.
The Suissedigital association brings together around 180 companies organized under both private and public law. According to their own information, they supply more than 3 million homes and business units with radio, TV, Internet, telephony and other communications services. (SDA)
