Insight Posts Bigger Sub Gains in Q4

Alan Breznick, Cable/Video Practice Leader, Light Reading

March 8, 2006

1 Min Read
Insight Posts Bigger Sub Gains in Q4

Insight Communications is enjoying its first few months as a private company. Insight, which went private back in September, turned in its first full quarter in its new mode with strong year-to-year gains in basic cable, digital video, high-speed data and IP telephony subscribers. Releasing its fourth-quarter earnings earlier today, Insight reported that it netted 79,700 new revenue generating units (RGUs) in Q4. Although down from an impressive 98,200 new RGUs in Q3, that's more than three times as many RGUs as in the year-earlier period and more new units than in the first two quarters of 2005 combined. High-speed data accounted for the biggest share of that gain. Insight picked up 31,200 cable modem customers in the fall quarter, down from 47,900 in the third quarter but up from just 19,000 in the year-ago period. The MSO ended 2005 with slightly over 470,000 data customers, up nearly 140,000 for the year. Despite not expanding phone service to any new markets, Insight gained 9,000 VoIP subscribers in Q4, its strongest quarterly increase yet. That's up from a 7,400-subscriber increase in Q3 and a mere 1,500-customer gain a year earlier. The MSO closed out 2005 with 89,900 phone customers, up more than 25,000 for the year. On the video side, Insight signed up 28,900 digital cable subscribers in the fourth quarter, nearly matching its third quarter gain and easily outpacing its year-ago results. Likewise, the company enlisted 10,600 basic video subscribers, down from 13,800 in Q3 but way up from a loss of 11,100 in the year-earlier period.

About the Author(s)

Alan Breznick

Cable/Video Practice Leader, Light Reading

Alan Breznick is a business editor and research analyst who has tracked the cable, broadband and video markets like an over-bred bloodhound for more than 20 years.

As a senior analyst at Light Reading's research arm, Heavy Reading, for six years, Alan authored numerous reports, columns, white papers and case studies, moderated dozens of webinars, and organized and hosted more than 15 -- count 'em --regional conferences on cable, broadband and IPTV technology topics. And all this while maintaining a summer job as an ostrich wrangler.

Before that, he was the founding editor of Light Reading Cable, transforming a monthly newsletter into a daily website. Prior to joining Light Reading, Alan was a broadband analyst for Kinetic Strategies and a contributing analyst for One Touch Intelligence.

He is based in the Toronto area, though is New York born and bred. Just ask, and he will take you on a power-walking tour of Manhattan, pointing out the tourist hotspots and the places that make up his personal timeline: The bench where he smoked his first pipe; the alley where he won his first fist fight. That kind of thing.

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