Virgin Media posts quarterly growth

Fibre optic broadband, home phone and digital TV companyVirgin Media today said it grew customer numbers in its spring quarter for the first time since its NTL-Telewest merger.
The group added 9,100 new households on a net basis - those joining less those leaving - in the three months to June 30, which is traditionally a weak quarter.
A year earlier Virgin Media suffered a 27,800 net loss of customers but it is now benefiting from a marked improvement in demand for its cable service.
Net cable additions of 7,100 in the second quarter came as it continued to spend heavily on marketing, as well as expand its fibre optic network to more UK homes.
Fewer customers are quitting the service in a turnaround of fortunes compared with three years ago, when a bitter battle with rival BSkyB over access to basic Sky channels took its toll.
Virgin Media, which was formed four years ago, said cable disconnections fell by 2.3% in the quarter, while it also benefited from cross-selling with its other services, such as broadband and mobile.
It said growth was "the result of increased product differentiation, higher marketing spend, and investment in growth channels such as retail, where we opened 13 new stores in the quarter."
Virgin Media's ongoing efforts to extend its fibre optic network also saw the group cover another 72,000 households in the three month period.
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