Report: Better service would equal better subscriber numbers

An analysis developed by Trefis concludes that improving customer service will help cable operators regain subscribers that have been leaking to satellite and fiber optic providers. The research suggests that "there's a 10 percent (market) upside" if Comcast and Time Warner can return to 2006 subscriber levels (Comcast has dipped from 24.5 percent market share to 21.9 and TWC dropped 13.6 to 12.3).

"For this to happen, cable services need to provide better customer service, lower prices and more features," the analysis concluded.

One cable operator reporting good news on the subscriber satisfaction front is Cox Communications, which was presented with the Frost & Sullivan Award for Price Performance Value Leadership in the video service market. Additionally, the MSO said its business services organization was given the J.D. Power & Associates award for business telecom and data services for small and midsize businesses, garnering 683 out of a possible 1,000 points. AT&T and Cablevision's Optimum Business were next in line.

For more:
- see this story
- and this news release
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