Be Broadband and O2 suffer slump in subscriber numbers

Be Broadband and O2 parent company Telefonica has reported a decline in its UK subscriber numbers during the third quarter of 2011.

In the three months to September 30th, the Spain-based telecoms giant saw its volume of wireline retail broadband connections drop by six per cent year on year to around 600,000.

This result contributed to Telefonica seeing its UK revenues for the first nine months of 2011 fall by 1.2 per cent year on year to €5.165 billion (£4.419 billion). However, this figure would have been up by 1.5 per cent but for the impact of reductions to mobile termination rates.

Across its various global markets, the company's total number of broadband subscribers climbed to 299.7 million, representing an increase of six per cent.

The decline in Telefonica's UK customer base comes shortly after O2 and Be reported delays to their plans to begin offering fibre optic broadband connectivity.

Both were planning to unveil their new super-fast broadband packages before the end of this year, but now look set to miss this deadline.

"We'd like to launch our fibre service this year but it's now likely to be longer than hoped," a Be spokesman explained.