IPTV, fibre slow ETB’s decline
Details
Juan Fernandez Gonzalez
| 28 March 2018

Bogota-based telco ETB seems to have halted the progression of its losses somewhat, mostly thanks to its growing fibre and pay-TV businesses.

While its privatisation process is still suspended, the telco, which is owned by Bogota City Council, is attempting to remove itself from the loss-making situation in which it has been stuck over the last decade.

According to the company’s 2017 financial report, the year ended with total losses over $43 million, half the losses reported in 2016.

EBITDA grew by 25% year-on-year to near $190 million mostly thanks to a 10% year-on-year reduction in operation costs, and a 23% growth in income.

Most of the revenue growth was driven by IPTV and fibre-to-the-home, with ETB having 290,000 FTTH broadband customers (up 44%) and nearly 130,000 pay-TV homes (up 8%) by the end of December 2017.

“Through the austerity policies implemented over the last two years, we have reduced operative costs and investments by 634 billion of pesos [$225 million], strengthening ETB’s sustainability,” said Jorge Castellanos Rueda, president ETB. “The company is solid and it’s ready to carry commercial expansion and diversification projects.”