SKY CABLE Corp., the cable television and broadband unit of ABS-CBN Corp., is targeting up to 30% growth in broadband subscribers in the next 12 months with the launch of new “fiber-fast” home internet subscription plans.
“With these new fiber plans, we think we can grow the broadband to as much as 20% to 30% in terms of subscribers growth… in the next twelve months,” Jaja G. Suarez, business unit head for consumer products of Sky Cable, told reporters after the product launch Wednesday.
Sky Fiber launched on Wednesday its Super Speed Plans, which offer unlimited fiber internet package. These include Plan 5 mbps — available for P999 per month; Plan 25 mbps for P1,499 per month; Plan 50 mbps for P1,999 per month; Plan 75 mbps for P2499 per month; and 150 mbps for P3,499 per month.
The company also launched the country’s first Sky Fiber All-in Box, which combines fiber internet and high-definition television in one device. This would also allow customers to customize channels that they want to watch instead of having a fixed list of channels included in a package.
Ms. Suarez said of its 500,000 current cable and broadband subscribers, 300,000 are on broadband. Currently, Sky Cable is present in areas including Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, and Bulacan. In terms of market share, the company is already 22% in areas where it is present.
She said that the company is still trying to expand in Visayas and Mindanao, and those areas where there is still no internet or cable service provider.
“Sometimes it’s not apples to apples because PLDT (Inc.) and Globe (Telecom, Inc.) would have connections on places where we are not present. So where we are present, that’s our market share. In regional systems, it’s a little bit lower because we’re still building a lot of broadband backbone,” Ms. Suarez said.
“Right now, we are able to reach 1.2 million homes nationally, so we continue to expand. In the next three years, we hope to complete close to 2.5 million. We’re concentrated in key urban areas. We’re not really competing with PLDT and Globe in terms of scope, they really have major footprint,” she added. — Vincent Mariel P. Galang
