UPC Broadband
Encyclopedia
UPC Broadband is a Pan-European Communications company owned by Liberty Global and is active in several European countries providing bundled cable television, internet and telephone services.
UPC was founded in the Netherlands
, originally as United Philips
Cable and later Pan-Europe Communications, before being bought out by Liberty Global. UPC provides internet, phone and television in 10 countries of Europe, and is the absolutely dominant provider in countries like Ireland
, Poland
, Austria
, Slovakia
, Hungary
and Czech Republic
. UPC has previously had operations in France
, Sweden
, Norway
and Slovenia
but these business units have been sold off.
Key Facts:
In Ireland, UPC have approximately 1,769,292 customers or 41.7%, In March 2011, UPC was convicted of 18 charges at the Dublin District Court of breaches of the Data Protection Act.
In 2005, Liberty Global Europe bought the Romania
n communications company Astral Telecom
for $420 million, the Swiss communications company Cablecom for CHF2.8 billion, and the Slovenia
n communications company UPC Telemach for EUR71 million. In 2007 UPC Telemach also bought 66.7% of Ljubljanski kabel (major competition in Ljubljana
) and grew its market share to 40% in Slovenia
.
Liberty Global's European operations is divided into two business units, UPC Broadband and Chello
, or Chellomedia
; which is also a very large media provider on the European continent.
Companies in the UPC unit:
UPC was founded in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, originally as United Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
Cable and later Pan-Europe Communications, before being bought out by Liberty Global. UPC provides internet, phone and television in 10 countries of Europe, and is the absolutely dominant provider in countries like Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
and Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. UPC has previously had operations in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
but these business units have been sold off.
Key Facts:
- Subsidiary of Liberty Global
- Cable operations in 10 countries
- Largest Pan-European cable operator
- 22.8 million homes passed
- 20.5 million RGU's
- 13.4 million customers
In Ireland, UPC have approximately 1,769,292 customers or 41.7%, In March 2011, UPC was convicted of 18 charges at the Dublin District Court of breaches of the Data Protection Act.
In 2005, Liberty Global Europe bought the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n communications company Astral Telecom
Astral Telecom
UPC Romania is the 2nd largest cable television operator in Romania after RCS&RDS. UPC Romania provides video, broadband internet, and digital telephony services to 1.2 million customers as of December 31, 2009....
for $420 million, the Swiss communications company Cablecom for CHF2.8 billion, and the Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n communications company UPC Telemach for EUR71 million. In 2007 UPC Telemach also bought 66.7% of Ljubljanski kabel (major competition in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
) and grew its market share to 40% in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
.
Liberty Global's European operations is divided into two business units, UPC Broadband and Chello
Chello
chello is the brand of internet service provider-activities of Liberty Global Europe , a provider of broadband internet access via cable in Europe, with estimated 1.3 million customers across its markets. LGE operates in 15 European, 4 Latin American and 2 Asian/Pacific countries...
, or Chellomedia
Chellomedia
Chellomedia, the European content division of Liberty Global, is a leading international media company & distributor of channels, content and video services. The division’s operating companies and business units currently own and operate 45 branded TV channels and run a suite of digital, on demand...
; which is also a very large media provider on the European continent.
Companies in the UPC unit:
- Unitymedia (Germany)
- UPC Austria
- UPC Belgium/TelenetTelenet (Belgium)Telenet Group is the largest provider of broadband cable services in Belgium. Its business comprises the provision of analog and digital cable television, high speed internet and fixed and mobile telephony services, primarily to residential customers in Flanders and Brussels...
- UPC Cablecom (Switzerland)
- UPC Czech Republic
- UPC Hungary
- UPC IrelandUPC IrelandUPC Ireland is Liberty Global Europe's telecommunications operation in Ireland. UPC Ireland is the largest digital cable television provider within the Republic of Ireland. As of September 2010 the company offers broadband internet, digital television and digital telephony to over 531,000 customers...
- UPC NetherlandsUPC NetherlandsUPC Netherlands is the second largest cable operator in the Netherlands, providing cable television , broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers.-History:...
- UPC Poland
- UPC Romania
- UPC Broadband Slovakia