{{Short description|Defunct Venezuelan-Colombian cable operator}}
'''SuperCable''' was a Venezuelan-Colombian cable television operator owned by Supercable ALK International, operating cable television services in key cities of both countries. The company is in process of liquidation.<ref name="pionero">{{cite news |title=SuperCable: de pionero en telecomunicaciones a cierre por presuntas irregularidades |url=https://www.elnacional.com/venezuela/supercable-de-pionero-en-telecomunicaciones-a-cierre-por-presuntas-irregularidades/ |work=El Nacional |language=es}}</ref>
==History== SuperCable was the first coaxial cable company to be established in Venezuela in 1993.<ref name="Telecompaper">{{cite news |title=Number of pay-per-view customers rises |url=https://www.telecompaper.com/news/number-of-payperview-customers-rises--273661 |work=Telecompaper |date=July 16, 2001}}</ref> As of 1997, it was the largest cable operator.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Marcelino |first1=Bisbal |title=La televisión por suscripción en Venezuela |url=https://gumiteca.org/PDF/COM2020190-191_23-35.pdf}}</ref> By 2001, it was the third-largest operator in Venezuela by number of subscribers.<ref name="Telecompaper"/>
In January 2001, it began providing cable services in Colombia, aiming at higher classes, beginning in the Salitre district of Bogotá.<ref>[https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-585909 SUPERCABLE, EN LAS GRANDES LIGAS DE LA TELEVISIÓN]</ref> In July, it charged a complaint against Digital Latin America for providing services to rival operators. At the time, Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst was part-owner of DLA and Intercable.<ref>[https://variety.com/2001/tv/news/supercable-accuses-dla-of-denying-service-1117850012/ Supercable accuses DLA of denying service]</ref> The company planned US$50 million in investment in 2002,<ref>[https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/Supercable_to_Invest_US*50mn_in_2002 Supercable to Invest US$50mn in 2002]</ref> as well as investing in digital cable services by year-end 2002.<ref>[https://www.produ.com/television/noticias/supercable-venezuela-sigue-invirtiendo-en-tv-digital/ Supercable Venezuela sigue invirtiendo en TV digital]</ref>
The operator in Venezuela removed BBC World on February 16, 2005, a decision considered to be a "commercial dispute" according to the channel's head of sales Jeff Hazell.<ref>[https://www.produ.com/television/noticias/jeff-hazell-de-bbc-world-no-podemos-estar-en-supercable-mientras-dura-la-disputa-comercial/ Jeff Hazell de BBC World: No podemos estar en SuperCable mientras dura la disputa comercial]</ref> SuperCable president Ahmad Lee Khamsi revealed a few days later that the situation could not be resolved due to paying three times the amount of money NetUno did for carrying the channel.<ref>[https://www.produ.com/television/noticias/ahmad-khamsi-de-supercable-bbc-cobraba-menos-a-nuestro-competidor/ Ahmad Khamsi de SuperCable: BBC cobraba menos a nuestro competidor]</ref>
SuperCable obtained the license to broadcast Colombian league matches in 2012, offering to its subscribers seven matches of Categoría Primera A on weekends, one of Categoría Primera B on Mondays and one of the Copa Colombia on Wednesdays.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://certificadocolombia.com/supercable-telecomunicaciones|title=Supercable, nuevo licenciatario de televisión del fútbol profesional colombiano|publisher=Dimayor|access-date=9 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810105005/http://certificadocolombia.com/supercable-telecomunicaciones|archive-date=10 August 2014}}</ref>
In April 2019, SuperCable's users in Colombia detected problems in its signal or failure of the same. The technical support rooms were empty, while its customer support line stopped working. According to the National Television Authority, the company had no permit to operate subscription television services in Colombia since 2017.<ref>[https://www.publimetro.co/co/noticias/2019/04/23/desaparecio-supercable-colombia-usuarios-denuncian-fallas-servicio.html ¿Desapareció Supercable de Colombia? Usuarios denuncian fallas de servicio]</ref>
On March 14, 2025, Venezuelan media regulator CONATEL suspended SuperCable's license and set a 60 day transition period for its subscribers to migrate to other services. Former CONATEL president William Castillo had noted that since his complaint to SuperCable in 2014, the company was operating with obsolete technology, had moved its fundamental services to Colombia and continued exploiting its license in Venezuela irregularly. There are also rumors that SuperCable is up for sale, allowing it to continue under a new name.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ntn24.com/noticias-ciencia-y-tecnologia/ya-era-hora-conatel-pone-fin-a-supercable-y-la-empresa-de-telecomunicaciones-apaga-inmediatamente-el-servicio-544445|title="Ya era hora": Conatel pone fin a Supercable y la empresa de telecomunicaciones apaga inmediatamente el servicio {{!}} NTN24.COM|access-date=15 March 2025|website=NTN24|language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.infobae.com/espana/agencias/2025/03/14/venezuela-suspende-licencia-de-operadora-de-tv-supercable-por-violar-derechos-de-usuarios/|title=Venezuela suspende licencia de operadora de TV SuperCable por violar derechos de usuarios|access-date=15 March 2025|publisher=Infobae|date=14 March 2025|website=infobae|language=es-AR}}</ref> Even with its license revoked, it continued providing services, but did not give new subscribers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Con su licencia revocada, Supercable sigue brindando servicios aunque ya no vende nuevas suscripciones |url=https://tavilatam.com/venezuela-con-su-licencia-revocada-supercable-sigue-brindando-servicios-aunque-ya-no-vende-nuevas-suscripciones/ |work=tavilatam.com |language=es}}</ref> Finally, on August 18, 2025, SuperCable ceased its operations permanently, sending a notification to its subscribers and shutting down its services a few hours later.<ref>[https://tavilatam.com/venezuela-supercable-apago-definitivamente-sus-operaciones/ Supercable apagó definitivamente sus operaciones]</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{CATV Latin America and the Caribbean}}
Category:Telecommunications companies established in 1993 Category:Mass media companies established in 1993 Category:Mass media companies disestablished in 2025 Category:1993 establishments in Venezuela Category:Insolvent companies