(Brussels, 13 February 2012): Cable Europe, the trade association for the European cable industry, today marks the beginning of Darwin Week 2012 by paying homage to one of the most resilient, highly-evolved, successful survivors of the modern ICT era, the cable industry.

Darwin Week is a celebration of science and humanity as well as an opportunity to remember the man whose name is synonymous with the theory of evolution. Yet while Charles Darwin’s own research concerned the natural world, his findings bear uncanny resemblance to the modern cable industry, which has successfully established itself against larger, better-resourced competition through constant evolution and improvement. Nowhere is this evolution more evident than in the multi-screen world, where cable operators deployed 18 major services in 2011, comfortably more than any other platform.

Manuel Kohnstamm, President, Cable Europe, said, "Darwin has taught us that those who adapt to challenging circumstances come out stronger. The cable industry is witnessing just that: amidst intensifying competition of satellite, incumbent telcos, and over-the-top providers, it is innovating and growing like no other."

Continued investments in its fibre-rich networks drive constant upgrades which push competition in the marketplace. While incumbents invest 12% CAPEX, the cable industry invests a European average of 25% CAPEX back into its networks, a trend which has continued through the economically challenging times and is yielding positive results for both balance sheets and customers in search of some of the best broadband speeds in the market.

”The serious point here is that, whenever cable has been challenged in the past, it has bounced back stronger, said Cable Europe Managing Director, Caroline van Weede. “Today’s cable operators have strong balance sheets, strong customer relationships and the very best service offerings. Ours is a dynamic industry and we will encounter further challenges in the future: we say, Bring Them On.”

Cable Europe’s annual conference, Cable Congress 2012 is being held in Brussels on March 7-9. With speakers including Michael Fries, President & CEO, Liberty Global, Neil Berkett, CEO Virgin Media, Marco Bessatti, President, Endemol Group and Genevieve Bell, Director of Interaction and Experience Research, Intel, Cable Congress is the foremost forum in Europe for senior executives in the cable, broadband and pay television industries.

*Note to editors: Darwin Week runs from February 13-17. We ask you to respect the principles of natural selection by disposing of this release in a timely and controlled manner: bigger and better news announcements from Cable Europe will be released closer to Cable Congress 2012.

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For more information, please contact:

Gregg Svingen

Director of Communications

M: +32 476 490 603

E: gregg.svingen@cable-europe.eu

Jessica Fernandez

Information Manager

E: jessica.fernandez@cable-europe.eu

About Cable Europe

Cable Europe is a trade association that groups all leading broadband cable TV operators and their national associations throughout Europe. The aim of Cable Europe is to promote and defend the industry’s policies and business interests at European and international levels, and to foster cooperation among its members. Cable networks go into the home of 73 million customers in the European Union, providing Digital TV, Broadband Internet and Telephony services.

www.cable-europe.eu