Businessweek

Liberty Global, Inc. provides video, broadband Internet, and telephony services. As of December 31, 2012, the company served 19.8 million customers across 13 countries, primarily in Europe and Chile. The company’s European and Chilean operations are conducted through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Liberty Global Europe Holding BV (Liberty Global Europe). Through Liberty Global Europe’s wholly-owned subsidiary, UPC Holding BV (UPC Holding), it provides video, broadband Internet and telephony services in nine European countries and in Chile. The European broadband communications and direct-to-home satellite (DTH) operations of UPC Holding and the broadband communications operations in Germany of Unitymedia KabelBW GmbH (Unitymedia KabelBW), another wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Global Europe, are collectively referred to as the UPC/Unity Division. UPC Holding’s broadband communications operations in Chile are provided through its 80%-owned subsidiary, VTR Global Com SA (VTR). In May 2012, through its 80%-owned subsidiary, VTR Wireless SA (VTR Wireless), the company offers mobile services in Chile through a combination of its own wireless network and certain third-party wireless access arrangements. Through Liberty Global Europe’s majority-owned subsidiary, Telenet Group Holding NV (Telenet), a publicly-listed Belgian company, the company provides video, broadband Internet and telephony services in Belgium. The company’s operations also include broadband communications operations in Puerto Rico that it conducts through a 60%-owned subsidiary and interests in certain programming businesses and other services in Europe and Latin America. The company’s consolidated programming interests in Europe and Latin America are primarily held through Chellomedia BV (Chellomedia), another wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Global Europe, which also owns or manages investments in various other businesses, primarily in Europe. Certain of Chellomedia’s subsidiaries and affiliates provide programming services to certain of its broadband communications operations, primarily in Europe. BROADBAND DISTRIBUTION The company offers various broadband services over its cable distribution systems, including video, broadband Internet and telephony services. It operates its broadband communications businesses in Europe through Liberty Global Europe’s UPC/Unity Division and through its subsidiary, Telenet, and in Latin America through VTR and Puerto Rico LLC (Liberty Puerto Rico). In addition, in select markets, the company offers video services through DTH or through multichannel multipoint (microwave) distribution systems (MMDS). In terms of video subscribers, it operates cable network in each of Austria, Belgium, Chile, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Puerto Rico, Slovakia and Switzerland and cable network in Germany, the Netherlands, and Romania. Residential Services Video. The company’s cable operations offer a range of video services, including basic and premium programming and incremental product and service offerings, such as high definition (HD) channels, digital video recorder (DVR), HD DVR, an electronic programming guide and, in certain markets, video-on-demand (VoD). The basic digital television channels in its entire footprints in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Romania and the Czech Republic are unencrypted as of February 1, 2013. The company’s cable operations generally offer two or three tiers of digital video programming and audio services. Subscribers to its basic digital video service pay a fixed monthly fee and generally receive at least 55 video channels and various audio services. In addition to its digital video services, the company offers limited analog services in all of its broadband markets. Subscribers to its analog video service typically receive 18 to 67 channels of video service, depending on their location. Subscribers to its digital services also receive the channels available through its analog service. The company offers in certain of its markets a lifeline tier with limited video channels. In Ireland and Slovakia, the company offers a limited number of video channels throu