Telewest Launches Cut Price Digital TV Service
Telewest Broadband has announced plans to shake-up the digital TV market with the launch of a new cut-price package to rival Freeview and Sky.
The new digital TV package, which does not require consumers to purchase a set top box, will cost around £3.50 a month for thirty channels including Sky One, BBC3 and Cbeebies.
Commenting on the new package, Gavin Patterson, managing director of Telewest Broadband, said: “We’re presenting a new service that will break down the barriers to getting digital TV and offers excellent value compared to both Freeview and Sky. We want to give consumers a taste of what digital TV is like, as we’re so convinced that once they’ve tried it, they wont want to go back to five analogue channels.”
The cost of digital television appears to be falling across the board and last week electronics design house, Lidcom, announced that it has developed a cheaper version of the Freeview set top box.
The new digital terrestrial receiver will be considerably cheaper than those currently on the market and will cost around £65.
Roger Guerand, CEO of Lidcom, commented: “The potential market for the cheaper set top box is huge, independently assessed at between 75 million and 120 million pieces in the UK alone. As new programmes are progressively added to the digital broadcast platform, 2003 is going to see the set top box as the essential household purchase.”
The take up of digital TV has been boosted significantly thanks to the success of Freeview, which has attracted more than 1.4 million customers since its launch last October (see BBC Revives Digital Terrestrial TV With Freeview Launch).
Last week, E-Commerce Minister, Stephen Timms, reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to digital TV and insisted that the success of Freeview will allow the analogue signal to be switched off by the current 2010 deadline (see Government Minister Insists Digital Deadline Will Be Met).
Telewest Broadband: 0800 953 5383 www.telewest.co.uk
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