NTL Signs Set Top Box Deal With Samsung

Cable company NTL has signed a multi-million pound contract with Samsung Electronics for the supply of digital cable set-top boxes. The deal may represent a threat to NTL’s other supplier, Pace Micro, which is already in financial trouble.

Stephen Carter, managing director of NTL, said: “Having two suppliers rather than one is great for our business.” A spokesperson for Samsung added that this initial contract was being regarded as “the start of a very important long-term relationship.”

The stock market value of Pace dropped last week when a warning came that sales of boxes would fall short of expectations, and blamed NTL for a profits warning after a delivery had to be scrapped due to credit fears. Pace’s problems could deepen further if industry rumours of a worst case scenario being imminent for ITV Digital after Deloitte & Touche were called in (see ITV Digital To Restructure; Merger Talks Revived?) turn out to be true.

NTL: 01252 402 000 www.ntl.co.uk

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