Applicants Bid For Cable Franchise

The ITC has received three applications for the local delivery franchise for Southern County Durham and Northern Yorkshire areas.

The applicants are: Bell Cablemedia Plc, with a bid of £1,750,000, who own the neighbouring Wearside franchise, and propose to offer service by 2002 to 132,000 homes; Cable and Telecoms North Ltd, with a bid of £626,866, offering service to 124,132 homes by the same year; and Comcast (North East) Ltd, with a bid of £100,000, who propose service to 47,800 homes in the Wear Valley and Sedgefield Districts by the year 2000.

The next step is for the ITC to consult with the Department of Trade and Industry and Oftel to establish that the proposed technical plan offered by each applicant is acceptable. The ITC must also be satisfied that the proposed telecommunications system is capable in each case of being established in the proposed timescale, and that the service will be able to be maintained throughout the period of the license. The ITC should make its decision in the Spring.

ITC: 0171 255 3000