NTL Aims For 250,000 Digital Subscribers By Mid-2000

Cable telecommunications company NTL has confirmed that its digital cable television services will launch on 1 September 1999, with trials running up to that date during July and August.

NTL expects to sign up 250,000 subscribers to its digital TV service by mid-2000 thanks to a bundling strategy of selling telephony, television, internet and interactive access all in the same package. The cable company currently has 44% penetration in its service areas, and has its sights set on 60% total penetration in its franchise areas by 2003.

The latest figures from the Independent Television Commission show that 24.5% of the 12.1 million homes that can receive cable services currently subscribe to cable telephony, television or both. The take-up of cable TV grew in the first quarter of 1999, with 12.4% of all UK homes now receiving their TV through cable (11.9% in Q4 1998) (see Newsline).

NTL will be the second of the cable companies to launch its digital TV service – Cable & Wireless Communications is planning its DTV launch for July (see Newsline) and Telewest’s digital launch is due sometime in autumn this year.

Barclay Knapp, chief executive officer at NTL, promised that NTL “will thrive in the new digital era.”

NTL: 01252 402 000