YouSee
| Founded | 1990 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Revenue | 4.3 billion DKK |
Number of employees | 1,200 |
YouSee is the largest cable operator in Denmark and a subsidiary of TDC, the largest telecom company in Denmark. YouSee currently has 1.2 million customers in Denmark, and is the second largest provider of broadband in Denmark.
History
In 1963, the Danish regional cable operator Jysk Telefon (covering most of Jutland) started cable television services. However, it was not until the mid eighties, when the four regional telecoms began a considerable build out of the cable TV network, that cable TV became the Danes’ preferred way to receive television.
A Nationwide Cable TV Company
In November 1990, the Danish parliament (Folketinget) passed a law that paved the way for a nationwide, Danish telecom. The company was named Tele Danmark and was the parent company for the existing, regional telecoms. The purpose was to create a strong Danish telco, able to compete in a growing international market.
In 1995, the cooperation was taken one step further, as the four regional companies were merged into Tele Danmark. Out of the merger arises the first nationwide cable TV company, i.e. Tele Danmark Kabel TV (Tele Denmark Cable TV).
New times - new actions
In the late nineties, Tele Danmark Kabel TV began to deliver its Digital TV services.
In 2000, Tele Danmark changed its name to TDC and demerged into a parent holding company with a number of subsidiaries with the purpose to increase customer focus, create greater transparency and faster time to market. Thus Tele Danmark Kabel TV became TDC Kabel TV, and initiated the build out of an upstream platform enabling the TV customers to access the Internet through the Cable TV Network.
In 2005, TDC Kabel TV expanded its product range with VoIP telephone services and became the first triple-play distributor in Denmark with TV, broadband and telephony.
Still in 2005, five private equity firms formed Nordic Telephone Company ApS (NTC) with the purpose to purchase TDC, including TDC Kabel TV. In 2006, NTC acquired 89% of the TDC shares, which had been reduced to 59%, following a re-IPO of TDC on Nasdaq OMX Copenhagen.
In 2007, TDC merged the daughter companies into one. Except for TDC Kabel TV, which continued as an independent legal identity, in order to maintain and strengthen its core competences. To further stress the independent role, TDC Kabel TV changed its name to YouSee, and created a new visual identity.
In 2009, YouSee decided to unencrypt its digital TV distribution, thereby gaining a 100% digital penetration, naming it Clear. However, a parallel analogue distribution is maintained for customers with TV sets that are unable to receive digital signals.
Products
YouSee provides the following main products: TV, Internet and Telephony.
TV
Channels are mainly sold in three packages, i.e. Basic, Medium, and Full, amounting to a total of approximately 60 channels, of which 25 in HD quality. They are unencrypted Digital Standard Definition, Broadcasts “YouSee Clear”, and do not require a Set-top box. In addition, customers can choose from a number of Extra channels (encrypted), requiring a set top box or a Smart card.
On-demand
10% of the YouSee customers has a set-top box, allowing them to Record and store TV Programs with a PVR, rent movies and TV series, pause, start over, and rewind a session. On demand can be accessed via YouSee web-TV, offering TV, movies, and series. In addition On demand is delivered on the basis of partners and wholesale. YouSee is the largest VOD provider in Denmark with approximately 1.6m rentals in 2011.
Broadband
One third of the customer base, amounting to more than 400,000 costumers, has YouSee broadband as a "buy through" product to TV, placing YouSee second in the market (after TDC). Broadband delivers speed up to 100/20 Mbit/s and free services (VAS) such as web-TV (customers have free web-TV access to the channels corresponding to their TV-package), the YouSee Player (an app that gives easy access to more than 15M music titles and web-TV), webmail and support.
Telephony
As a "buy through" to the broadband product, 20% of the broadband customers has Voice over IP telephony.
Off Cable activities (OTT)
Since 2008 YouSee has offered a paid access web-TV solution, yousee.TV, for everyone - i.e. not limited to YouSee customers - with Film and series.
Network
YouSee’s network consists of partly Optical Fiber based and partly coax based distribution network. The fiber network connects to the Cable television headend in Copenhagen with the 32 distribution points spread around the country. YouSee delivers to own customers, housing associations and other TV operators such as TDC, Fullrate, and Fast TV. In total 53% of all Danish households, equal to 1.4m, receive their TV signal from the headend in Copenhagen.