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Canadian Telecom Giants Target High-Speed Internet Subscribers

With increasingly more digital contents like streaming video and music are consumed in Canada, giant telecom companies like Rogers Communications, Telus and Bell are not only targeting mobile wireless customers but also, high-speed Internet subscribers.

“The Internet is the connection for all sources of entertainment and communication,” Joe Natale, Telus’ chief commercial office said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “More than ever from our perspective, it’s the anchor to the home.”

Rogers Communication also sees increased profits on the Internet.

“Where we see the growth and where we focus our efforts, is growing net subscribers on the Internet,” said Nadir Mohamed CEO of Rogers Communication.

Both Telus and Rogers have reported increased profits in the fourth quarter of 2012.

Canada’s another top carrier provider, Bell, is also expanding its Fibe TV service which will also boost its Internet customers. Telus and Bell’s Internet Protocol (IP) television is attracting Internet customers.

The IP TV delivers digital, high-definition channels and it is delivered over a closed Internet network and not open or public Internet connection that consumers use.

Customers don’t have a choice but to take the internet service along with the Internet Television.

“You can’t just go to Bell and say, I want IP TV but I don’t want your Internet,” said telecom analyst, Troy Carndall of MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier.

“100 percent of Fibe TV Internet customers also take the company’s Internet service” Gorge Cope, chief executive of Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) told investors recently.

Bell plans to expand its IP television service to ten more cities in Canada this year, currently its service has reached selected region of Montreal and Toronto.

The fourth quarter of 2012 report says, by the end of 2012, Rogers Communication had 1.9 million high-speed Internet subscribers and 2.2 million TV subscribers. It also has plans to roll out IP television service. Telus had 1.3 million high-speed internet subscribers and its Optik IP television services and satellite TV service had a total number of 678,000 customers.

Bell had more than 2.1 million TV subscribers in which 85 percent of them are new customers while 15 percent came from its satellite TV service.

Source: International Business Times