Net (telecommunications)
NET is the largest cable television operator in Latin America. The company's Net service (cable TV) had around 5.4 million subscribers as of Q2 2012. Net also operates the broadband internet service Net Vírtua, with 4.9 million subscribers as of Q2 2012 and telephone over cable (under the Net Fone via Embratel name) with more than 2.5 million subscribers.
History
NET was started in 1991 by Brazil's Roberto Marinho family's part of their Rede Globo empire. In March 2005, Embratel, a subsidiary of Mexico's Telmex, took a controlling stake in NET, paying 570 million reais.
Net Serviços' stock is traded on Bovespa, where it is part of the Ibovespa index is over.
The company announced in late 2006 that it would buy Vivax, then the nation's second-largest cable company. The transaction was approved in May 2007 and completed in June 2007. Rollout of the Net brand in Vivax areas was completed in December 2007.
On 10 August 2010, NET became the first cable operator in Brazil to offer all the Discovery Latin America channels: Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery Kids, People+Arts, Discovery Travel & Living, Discovery Home & Health, Discovery Science, Discovery Civilization, Discovery Turbo, HD Theater and TLC.
