ATLANTA – Cox Communications announced today that its accomplishments in 2006, the first year under President Pat Esser's leadership, further demonstrated that the company's decade-long focus on bundling multiple services continues to be a key competitive asset.
"There's no question about it, the bundle is our best offense and defense," Esser said. He added that later this year Cox will celebrate the 10th anniversary of delivering its customers a three-product bundle of cable, telephone and high-speed Internet services, just as it prepares to begin offering a fourth major service, wireless. "As we celebrate a decade of the bundle, we recognize the commitment of Cox employees who have transformed Cox from a single-service cable TV company into a world-class broadband telecommunications provider and a leader in customer service." Esser noted that over 60% of Cox's video customers subscribe to more than one of the company's three major services. Cox ended the year with 3.4 million bundled customers, a nearly 15% increase over 2005. Among the benefits of bundling, customer churn is at an all-time low across all product lines. Additionally, sell-in -- the percentage of new cable customers who subscribe to Cox Digital Telephone and/or Cox High Speed Internet-is also at a record high, about 60%.
At the start of Esser's first year as President, he established several strategic priorities to guide the company's continued success in a rapidly changing marketplace; chief among them: build market share, create efficiencies, and be the trusted provider in Cox markets. The company's 2006 accomplishments indicate considerable success in each area, including:
“It was a terrific fourth quarter and full year distinguished by customer growth and increased satisfaction; tremendous commercial sales; strong growth in digital cable, digital video recorders and On DEMAND; and our best quarter and year ever for high definition TV service,” Esser said.
Cox ended 2006 with 5.4 million basic video customers, representing a net gain of more than 30,000 customers over 2005; 5.9 million total residential customer relationships, an increase of nearly 2%; 3.3 million high-speed Internet customers, an increase of more than 16%; and over 2 million telephone customers, representing growth of over 21%. (Growth rates are adjusted for the sale of cable systems in 2006.)
Acerca de Cox Communications
Cox Communications, a Fortune 500 company, is a multi-service broadband communications and entertainment company with more than 6 million total residential and commercial customers. Cox offers an array of advanced digital video, high-speed Internet and telephony services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox Business Services is a full-service, facilities-based provider of communications solutions for commercial customers, providing high-speed Internet, voice and long-distance services, as well as data and video transport services for small to large-sized businesses. Cox Media offers national and local cable advertising in traditional spot and new media formats, along with promotional opportunities and production services. More information about the services of Cox Communications, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cox Enterprises, is available at www.cox.com/espanol, www.coxbusiness.com y www.coxmedia.com.
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David.Grabert@Cox.com
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