Telewest Gets Set For Digital

Telewest Communications is set to launch its long-awaited digital service on Thursday this week. As Britain’s second-largest cable company, it will beat rival NTL which has recently stalled similar plans. Cable & Wireless Communications (CWC), meanwhile, began to roll-out its own service in the North West in July this year (see Cable & Wireless Communications Rolls Out Digital TV Offerings).

Full details of the launch are still under wraps but it is believed that subscribers in Telewest’s franchise areas will be offered a range of channels from which they can pick a personalised package. High-speed internet access will also be offered and video-on-demand will be available from next year.

In the latest cable figures released by the Independent Television Commission (ITC), Telewest had passed 4.2 million homes for connection to its cable television services but only a million of these homes had signed up for the service (see Cable Television Growth Continues). Despite a growth during this period the overall take-up of cable television services hit an all-time low as digital TV offers from other platforms encroached on its territory (see Cable Television Take-Up Hits All-Time Low). It is unknown at present whether current subscribers to the Telewest cable television service will be able to upgrade to digital for free.

Telewest will have to work hard to compete with established digital services from BSkyB, which unveiled Sky Digital over a year ago and now has 1.8 million subscribers (see Sky Digital Reaches 1.8m Customers). Digital terrestrial broadcaster ONdigital, which celebrates its first anniversary next month, has so far signed 411,000 customers (see ONdigital Sales Up By 66%).

Telewest Communications: 01483 750 900