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“Goodbye cable”: End of an era for Foxtel

Foxtel recently switched off its Cable network, ending 28 years of delivery with the bulk of its subscribers now streaming.

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In late October Foxtel switched off the last of its cable network to subscribers.

Migrating customers from cable across to mostly internet-delivered services proved to be one of the largest projects ever undertaken at the company. While the cable network dates back to 1995, over two thirds of its 4.7 million customers are now streaming.

Earlier this month, Steve O’Connor, Chief Revenue Officer – Foxtel Commercial & Residential shared the major news with all employees.

“In late 1995 Bart Simpson skateboarded across Australian TVs in our first ever “I want my Foxtel” sales campaign, launching our company as a Cable-only service that offered consumers a world of entertainment they had never seen before. Back then we started with 0 customers and 20 channels of linear entertainment, now we have 4.7m subscribers, tens of thousands of hours of programming across multiple platforms and over 66% of our customer base is now streaming.

“Two years ago we set out to transition all customers off that original Cable service after Telstra sold its HFC cable network to NBN Co. This began a significant project moving more than 500,000 customers onto IP-led set top boxes and satellite services. With a project like this comes huge risks of churn but thanks to the meticulous planning, tenacious delivery and innovation in our Foxtel product with iQ4 and iQ5 as IP led streaming solutions we have achieved an amazingly seamless transition with our customers.

“At the end of June we turned off the smaller networks of SA and WA cable services, and at the end of last month we shut down the largest cable service networks in QLD, NSW and VIC – the day after Foxtel’s 28th birthday, having started the Cable-only service on 23 October 1995. When we closed the final cable services we had less than 7000 customers yet to transition to IP or satellite, and we’re continuing to engage these customers through to mid-December.

“Also within this timeframe our Commercial Premises Team did an exceptional job transitioning customers off Cable and on to satellite and IP-Only Business iQ services. Many of these services were in large accommodation buildings which share serviced apartments and residential homes, creating complex ownership and management negotiation challenges and operational complication.

“These are really incredible outcomes that are well beyond expectation.”

Having acknowleded individual staff he added, “Thank-you to everyone who played a part, and good-bye Cable!”

15 Responses

  1. I got smashed with emails and text messages for months but it was always up to me to call, and then I’d be I’d be in an a hour wait time, so I cancelled and went for Binge, even though the Foxtel rep told me it was faulty and always buffered…

  2. “Transition and Exceptional job”….that’s a matter of opinion…I was bombarded with emails, reminder letters, phone call “reminders”..and when I eventually upgraded to the IQ5 with the hard drive..I’ve lost the functionality to record 2 FTA programs..I can’t tell if the box is even recording unless it is switched on..it constantly clashes with new shows you want to record 2 weeks in advance…not even the remote understands what you say to it…the box ping, pops and pixelates when we have thunderstorms…it is a load of junk..I’ve had no end of problems since August..numerous technicians contact me trying to resolve the issues…several credits on my account as a goodwill gesture…and some days it still doesn’t work..I get to the point I just unplug it…walk away in disgust…then when I do turn it on away it goes….it works….it’s like a spoilt brat the more attention you give it the more it wants…makes me wonder how Humbl is going to perform.

    1. Well you did a good job waiting until August this year. It means you had over a year more than me, still being able to record two FTA shows at the same time and being able to see if something is recording.

  5. What can we watch if they are turning cable off and we don’t watch streaming as we loved foxtel satellite television. Normal hd television normal has nothing interesting on it. Love foxtel and nicolodon but all my favourite channels get cut off now but hopefully the satillite will be kept on foxtel.

    1. I’m not sure about satellite but I have the internet connection via external antenna and the hard drive which allows me to record 1 FTA now instead of 2 and 2 Foxtel programs..and there is no functionality to record Viceland…but as I said in my earlier comment…the FTA clashes are mostly Ten, SBS and Seven when various programs I like are on at the same time…(I use the reminder function in the EPG and I have to suffer the endless ads)…they aren’t like Nine or ABC where they repeat shows..I don’t use the apps that they have on the box on Nine Now, Ten Play or SBS OD because of the ads and the IQ5 does not have 7+ anyway..as for the other apps on the box I do subscribe to some but not all due to the expense..hope this helps.

  6. Ah, that explains why my old Foxtel box is showing red disconnected light!

    I kept the old Foxtel box as a good indicator of NBN connection quality – if the Foxtel box showed green, but my NBN was down, I knew it wasn’t the physical cable connection because the data came down the same single cable.

    I guess it’s time to unplug the Foxtel box.

    1. It is, cable was only rolled out to very few suburbs in South Australia. I have an IQ5 connected to satellite (upgraded from IQ3 early this year). I know I can run it via internet, but no point if the dish is still functional.

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