The move from being primarily a video provider to primarily a broadband and telecommunications firm – a transition path that all surviving cable companies are on, with some more aggressively than others – is leading Cable One to change its brand name. The company will become Sparklight next summer, though the corporate name will remain Cable One, Inc.
“We are very excited for this evolution to our new brand and the next chapter in our story,” Cable ONE President and CEO Julie Laulis said in a press release. “Over the past several years we have evolved and our new brand will better convey who we are and what we stand for – a company committed to providing our communities with connectivity that enriches their world. While we are introducing a new brand, our corporate name will remain Cable One, Inc.”
The rebranding will be accompanied by other changes. The company’s residential Internet service plans and pricing will be streamlined and speeds will be increased. Unlimited data will be allowed to be added to any plan. Local offices will be updated and online self-service will be improved through expanded portals.
The service offering that eventually will be Sparklight has been upgraded during 2018. In July, Cable One introduced a hosted voice through a cloud-based virtual PBX. The company said at the time that the service had launched in eight markets across seven states and was slated to be deployed to the majority of its footprint by the end of the year. Seats for the new service start at $20 per month.
In March, SVP and CFO Kevin Coyle said that the company’s 47% margins were the highest margin in the cable industry. That number was achieved, in large part, because video had been de-emphasized in favor of broadband and business services.
