11-08-2005

10Mb service will lead new wave of faster cable access

Telewest Broadband has today announced plans to shake-up its blueyonder internet services - with the most significant speed boosts seen yet - and outlined its capability to go much faster in the future.

The cable company will roll-out speed upgrades from next month, on a region-by-region basis and at no extra cost to existing or new customers. Completion is scheduled for early next year, with the following tiers on offer:

blueyonder broadband
Currently 512Kbp/s (kilobits per second), the entry-level service will become 2Mbp/s (megabits per second), for the same price of £17.99 per month

blueyonder broadband complete
The standard 1Mb service will become a super-fast 4Mbp/s service, still at £25 per month

blueyonder broadband elite
The current 2Mb and 4Mb options will be replaced by a flagship 10Mb service, costing only £35 per month

Upstream speeds will also be increased to 256Kbp/s for the 2Mb service and to 384Kbp/s for the complete and elite services.

All the tiers will remain free of usage limitations, following research* showing consumers' confusion over bandwidth caps. The company believes its unlimited policy continues to give customers peace of mind and the ability to get the most out of rich media content.

Unlike faster services touted by ADSL providers, where the maximum speed of internet access is dictated by distance from a phone exchange, the new cable services will be available to every home with access to the company's broadband-enabled network.

Eric Tveter, president and chief operating officer of Telewest Broadband, said: “There have been a few ISPs making a fuss about 2Mb services recently, but that often represents the maximum speed they can offer at the moment. We're making 2Mb our minimum speed and we'll also be offering a choice of affordable 4Mb and 10Mb services for more demanding internet users.

“What's more, our customers will be able to make full use of this extra bandwidth because we won't be introducing caps and all the new speeds will be available across the network. With blueyonder services you actually get what you pay for.”

Today's announcement is part of the cable company's aggressive programme to maintain superiority over competitors. In 2006, with the deployment of LLU (local loop unbundling), the general increase in internet access speeds is likely to continue.

Telewest Broadband's advanced fibre optic network is poised to respond rapidly to developing consumer demands and competitive moves in the event of a speed-based arms race.

The bandwidth upgrades planned for September will meet the requirements of most consumers and the applications and content currently available online. But plans are already in place to accommodate further speed increases beyond 10Mb next year, should the market dictate. And with the advent of DOCSIS 3 or ethernet to the home, cable services of up to 50Mbp/s could be possible in 2007.

Tveter added: “Cable is built for speed and, with the advent of the digital home, we are capable of satisfying even the most bandwidth-hungry family.”

Details of the speed upgrades can be found at www.blueyonder.co.uk/evenfaster and consumers can find out more about Telewest Broadband's bundle of digital TV, broadband internet and telephone services at www.telewest.co.uk.

Ends

Notes to Editors
*Research conducted by GFK NOP on behalf of Telewest Broadband in July 2005. Forty-eight per cent of dial-up respondents stated they had not noted usage restrictions when making a broadband selection. When made aware of restrictions, and given the choice between capped and non-capped products, 65% of those respondents said they would only pursue their original selection with further investigation and 35%.expressed an instant preference for uncapped products.

Telewest, the broadband communications and media group, currently passes and markets to 4.7 million homes and provides multi-channel television, telephone and internet services to 1.8 million residential customers. Its content division, Flextech, is the BBC's partner in UKTV. Together they are the largest supplier of basic channels to the UK pay-TV market with a portfolio that combines wholly owned and managed channels, including the ten joint venture channels with the BBC. For further information go to http://mediacentre.telewest.co.uk

High-resolution Telewest Broadband images are available for the media to download free of charge at www.vismedia.co.uk

Media enquiries
John Moorwood, Telewest Broadband, 01483 582 802 or john.moorwood@telewest.co.uk
Alexandra Legg, Telewest Broadband, 01483 582 716 or alexandra.legg@telewest.co.uk