UPC invests 2m euros in Internet service

UPC Romania, ranked third on the domestic cable TV market, is to launch its own Internet access services, with investment for 2005 set to exceed two million euros. “In two months at the latest, we will have covered three cities: Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara and Ploiesti. From this sum, 700,000 euros have been earmarked for Cluj. To start with, customers in the central area of the cities will be able to benefit from these services, with the network being subsequently expanded to other districts,” Mircea Ilea, UPC”s regional operations manager, told Ziarul Financiar Transilvania. He claims that their Internet services will have the highest speed among all cable TV operators in Romania – the main competitors in this segment are Astral and RDS. In fact, UPC”s Internet services were tested in Timisoara as early as last autumn, with over 350 customers at that time. UPC Romania, the domestic branch of American corporation UGC, last year cashed in 27.1 million euros, 33% more than in 2003. The company made an operational profit of 9.5 million euros, with the Romanian branch enjoying UPC”s highest revenue growth index in 2004. Operating profit climbed 51%, company officials said. ZF