The Iliad Group, owner of French broadband providers Free and Alice, enjoyed a rise in Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for its IPTV services during the first half of this year, with nearly 4.9mn VOD and SVOD subscriptions registered, an increase of 24% year-on-year.

The group did not however reveal total subscriber figures for its IPTV services.  It reports that it finalised the rollout of network synergies during the first six months of this year, which involved switching subscribers of services delivered under the Alice brand (purchased in August 2008) over to the Free network, and extending the unbundling of eligible subscribers.

The group had an ADSL subscriber base of more than 4.5mn by the end of June, of which 3.9mn had registered under the Free brand and 611,000 under the Alice brand.  Consolidated revenues for the first half of this year reached €1.015bn, exceeding €1bn for the first time.

Source: ipTVnews