Re: Virgin + NTL + Cable&Wireless = Confusion
 

To be fair, nobody had heard of NTL until Cabletel took it over. It may have had a good name within the Broadcasting industry but Joe Bloggs down the street wouldn't have heard of it.

I think the attempt to get holdof the Virgin brand is a very good idea. People trust it, even when the product is not so good (i.e trains).

The new company needs to distance itself from ntl and telewest.

Everyone wants it to happen and I believe it will.

I am also informed that as the OFT have not referred the merger that it will happen as early as February 1st.

Re: [Merged] Virgin mobile merging with NTL to take on SKY
 

Branson - now that is a good thing. Do I get virgin miles?

Re: Virgin mobile merging with NTL to take on SKY
 

Virgin mobile use the vodafone network, so it shouldn't be that bad.

Re: Virgin mobile merging with NTL to take on SKY
 

T-mobile, not Vodafone.

Re: [Merged] Virgin mobile merging with NTL to take on SKY
 

Our corporate contract is with T-Mobile, I've never had as many complaints about coverage as we do now. (we had Vodaphone before)
Can't say that I'm impressed with them in any way other than being able to undercut the competition substantially.

Re: [Merged] Virgin mobile merging with NTL to take on SKY
 

As merger accounting is no longer available the differentiation is becoming less clear.

New Name for NTL Telewest Virgin Mobile merger
 

Well they eventually decided on the what looks like the new name
for UK cable.

http://www.dtg.org.uk/news/news.php?...ss=193&id=1411


I think its cool

Re: New Name for NTL Telewest Virgin Mobile merger
 

So whats the new name :shrug:

Re: New Name for NTL Telewest Virgin Mobile merger
 

Virgin Vision

Re: New Name for NTL Telewest Virgin Mobile merger
 

Is that for real, april is a while of yet :disturbd:

Re: New Name for NTL Telewest Virgin Mobile merger
 

[img]Download Failed (1)[/img]
Perhaps they could canibalise the Virgin Galactic logo and just change the word to vision.

Re: New Name for NTL Telewest Virgin Mobile merger
 

why April

Re: New Name for NTL Telewest Virgin Mobile merger
 

April 1st, :erm:

Re: New Name for NTL Telewest Virgin Mobile merger
 

not sure if a fancy telling people i am with that new name lol

Re: New Name for NTL Telewest Virgin Mobile merger
 

Sounds like an Unsavoury website lol.

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL Merger Discussion
 

Threads merged.

Can we keep all the discussion of this merger in one place please.

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL Merger Discussion
 

Sounds too much like Vision Express to me.... is Branson planning on taking on the opticians..? :D

Re: New Name for NTL Telewest Virgin Mobile merger
 

Nothing quite like a little hyperboly is there. I mean, Galactic ... 'Sub-Orbital' is somewhat nearer the mark. :erm:

I think Virgin Vision sounds like a specialist pay-per-view channel. :disturbd:

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

So now its merged - finally, who's got the latest on the first job cuts ?

Re: New Name for NTL Telewest Virgin Mobile merger
 

:rolleyes: Perhaps they could call it Virgin Vista :D

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

It's on again !!:erm:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/04/03/ntl_virgin/

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

I don't think it was ever off, just in the background while the TW merger took place.

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

after seeing mick clearly still is able to contact ntl in the shaping thread, I wouldnt mind ntl been asked the reason why they think its more important and benefical to their customers to spend 900million buying virgin mobile then to invest that amount in their network.

I would assume 900mill investment could go a long way in removing most congestion on the 10meg service, increase peering particurly in the eu, and give them enough capacity to allow http to be uncached.

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Most of the money will actually be in the form of shares, giving Branson a 13% stake in the new company.

There will be a few hundred million in cash involved, but the way large companies work this isn't just money sitting around that can be spent on other things. Investors are interested in "operating profits" which would not include money spent on acquisitions, which would appear as one-off charges in the accounts. Essentially, if the money were spent on upgrades it would reduce the perceived* profitability of the core business while this would not.

* of course we could argue ntl will need to invest in hardware in the long-term in order to remain profitable, but unfortunately this is the state of anglo-american corporate governance.

Chris

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Deal Done!

BBC

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

To enable them to offer quadrouple play, to give them an edge over Sky and other service providers.

Also to take on the Virgin brand (which wont happen until January 2007) and shed the ntl/telewest stigmas.

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Most NTL broadband customers will not notice any problem with their service so why spend a large sum of money upgrading when they could use it to fund buying Virgin. Rebranding NTL as Virgin could attract many new customers which would mean more cash to invest.

I can see a time coming when it would be foolish for NTL to invest in upgrading the present infrastructure. The restrictions that are there at present will probably mean a different means of broadband delivery.

We are now Virgins :)
 

Please see article below............................

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1746469,00.html

Sorry put this in the wrong forum :(should have gone here http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/forumdisplay.php?f=10

---------- Post added at 10:18 ---------- Previous post was at 10:11 ----------

Wouldn't be too sure as its only Virgin Mobile NTL have bought, and leased the anme "Virgin" for 30 years
So technicly, we are not merging

Re: We are now Virgins :)
 

Could be the best thing that's happened. :)

Re: We are now Virgins :)
 

Do current Virgin Mobile empolyees get Tribe cards? If so, Virgin Vision employees will probably get them, and tribe will probably offer a discount on cable services.

Re: We are now Virgins :)
 

the companies are merging it's just the brand name is leased because it's such a valuable brand name. the assets are merged.

Re: We are now Virgins :)
 

Or they could do as they have with every other company they have eaten up! :erm:

Re: We are now Virgins :)
 

You pessimist you..I have faith in Richard...:)

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

a pointless merger in my opinion. linking up with a mobile company to offer 4 play. erm pun not intended! I like my NTL cable modem, sky for tv and orange for phone. nothing would take me into having a virgin mobile from ntl.

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

I wonder...will they give a discount to those existing customers who will end up having the 4-play, like I will ;)

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Its nice to know what the ntl execs think of their company to rebrand :D It probably will cause a rise in customers, to those who don't realise it is still the same company running itself.

Re: We are now Virgins :)
 

I guess it all hinges on how much clout he has. Ntl aren't known for listening are they.

He's come good with the trains (well some dispute that still) and most of his other businesses are looking good but if Ntl have overall control then I can see it going the same way as their other products. On top of that people won't put up with congestion on their mobiles or poor call quality and the like, they'll just move supplier. Inertia isn't that great with mobile phone users like it is with BB and DTV. It's so much easier to move mobile provider than it is to move DTV or BB.

Guess time will tell but I shan't be ever buying a virgin branded mobile again.

Re: We are now Virgins :)
 

Virgin don't operate their mobile network. They piggyback on T-Mobiles.

Co-incidentally T-Mobile normally come bottom of customer satisfaction with coverage wheras Virgin are normally top.
Dunno how that works if they are both using the same network :erm:

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

i smell the virgin 4 for £40 on the horizon to suck us all in virgin tv & virgin broadband with a virgin homephone and a virgin mobile for £40

Re: We are now Virgins :)
 

The key to it is in the phrase 'customer satisfaction' - it is a subjective measure based not on the laws of physics but on how customers feel about something. I suggest this is another extremely good example of why NTL is so desperate to acquire Virgin mobile and then rebrand itself. The Virgin brand is very powerful and respected - even running the west coast mainline hasn't killed it, and it should have. I wonder whether NTL will succeed where Inter City failed ...

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

a typo there I think - allow me to correct.... it is still the same company ruining itself!

Re: We are now Virgins :)
 

Wonder if dear old Dicky knows exactly what his brand is being associated with.

Maybe someone should mail him a link to this site and it's history?:angel:

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Having been with Virgin mobile, i found their customer service to be excellent so hopefully this will be a big plus. The service side i found to be deteriorating because the T-mobile network seems under heavy use as there are a few virtual networks using it as well as t-mobile themselves. The ones i can recall are Virgin mobile, Tesco mobile, Fresh, & i think easy mobile

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

have you seen the new uniform that the girls will have to wear in the virgin call centers ?

http://www.riteimage.co.uk/Virgin%20Girls.JPG

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Trust me T-Mobile's network is nowhere near saturation point ;)

T-Mobile share space with Fresh, easy mobile and Virgin.
Tesco use O2's network

---------- Post added at 14:40 ---------- Previous post was at 14:39 ----------

*Thinks of some of the girls who used to work in the Ntl call centre in Glasgow and Bellshill*

:sick:

Still there were some who would do that uniform justice.

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

hmmm bring on the 4play? is that today's best pun?

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Nop :)

I see ntl have lost there Virginity to Virgin.

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Or Ntl are going to scr... do something to a Virgin.

Perhaps a whole new thread for puns would be needed though.

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Nah the puns are toooo easy...for a virgin that is...;)

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Ive bean with virgin 7 years exellent service correct billing no connection problems good customer service im afraid now NTL have got hold of them it will only get worse it will go down the pan ntl manage to screw everything up:td: :td: :(

NTL/Virgin
 

Quality quote from the NTL Chairman "We believe Virgin are a great company and offer excellent customer Service"

Well at least 1 of the 2 companies does;)

Re: Virgin mobile merging with NTL to take on SKY
 

:tu:

Think of us poor Coventry City F.C fans - we have a 'NTL Stand' at our new ground. I'm guessing it will be called 'The Virgin Stand' from next season. :erm:

Re: Virgin mobile merging with NTL to take on SKY
 

:D

Re: [Merged] ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Oh ok, most of our customers are too dumb to know their is overselling going on and those in analogue only areas can stay on analogue knowing that buying a mobile phone company will make the tv broadband and phone service so much better.

I see the virgin shareholders laughing all the way to the bank with this deal.

I have been researching broadband regulation, and if ntl were under the jurustiction that eu isps are under they may have already been in trouble for the performance of their 10meg, the telewest merger would also likely have been blocked. The uk regulation is a bit of a joke.

If it is foolish to upgrade an infrastructure to handle a product they sell then why sell the product? At some point ntl are either going to have to do major investment or do an embarassing pull out of some areas.

---------- Post added at 22:23 ---------- Previous post was at 22:21 ----------

Also questionable how it is not monopolistic, drawing customers into one company for 4 different market sectors, similiar to how people complain about tesco and co selling films, music and clothes.

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Amen....

Click Me

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

We can but hope ... however for the moment at least, that quote is just a line of cliches. Corporate bull**** in the truest sense. The litmus test will be whether anything has actually changed 18 months from now.

Somehow I suspect the massive changes that will be brought about by the purchase of Virgin and Telewest will make things worse for some time to come. It's the nature of the beast.

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

I totally agree with you, but there's no way that Sir Richard Branson would allow customer service like ntl's to taint the Virgin brand's reputation for superb customer care.

We've had all the "it will improve" promises from ntl for the last I don't know how many years, maybe now that someone who knows how to look after his staff & customers is involved it really will improve.

Here's hoping....

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Indeed. The one thing that gives me hope is the way he somehow managed to prevent the west coast inter-city rail service from destroying his brand, despite running a largely **** service with aged rolling stock and a crumbling network for most of the last 10 years. Branson and his brand reputation seem to be teflon coated. Good luck to him.

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Poor customer service is one thing but some issues have never been mentioned on watchdog like the poor network performance and lack of universal digital rollout, the question is because these issues havent made the news is mr branson interested in fixing them or just the bad publicity stuff?

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

i wonder if the new look virgin logo will be red because it might well be the only red thing that works on ntl


unless they sort the red button before they use the red logo :dozey:

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

I really hope that this will be the turning point for NTL, as it definitely needs it. I have said before that NTL has been soley focused on these mergers for the past few years. Everything else has been left to one side to a certain degree.

Hope they will now start to treat the Employees a damn site better which will in turn mean that the customer will benefit.

Virgin Stickers >
 

ok please moderators do not move this thread to the virgin merger as it will get lost with all the others and this is a uniqe question about what will happento the ntl / telewest logos on our remote controls and set top boxes will they be replaced by richard or will they do a itv digital and send us nice little shiny virgin tv stickers to place on our set top boxes and remote controls ?

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

Doubtful.

They'll probably just leave things as they are for now. I think there are still some cable and wireless branded kit kicking about.

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

but thats just all wrong

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

i don't see this being a major issue that needs to be seperated from the other thread to be honest- as dezzo has said there are still some cable and wireless branded boxes out there.

Also as it is a DTV question i'm moving it to the DTV forums ;)

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

my wall plates still say 'Diamond Cable' ;)

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

I've still got a Nynex branded box on the outside of the house. It was only when NTL decided to replace my PACE STB that I got rid of Cable & Wireless. Even months after ntl swallowed cable & wireless a replacement STB was issued branded C&W :(

The cost of rebranding stuff that is out and about won't be worth ntl / telewest / virgin's effort.

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

good point i still have the nynex box but can you imagine when your sky friends come around they will say do u have nynex cable & wireless ntl or virgin tv very very mickey mouse

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

Not really. They would need to spend an awful lot of money replacing the boxes and remotes as Stickers would just fall off.

If they used Stickers, it would look look worse than having the wrong logos.

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

Isn't the buyout of Virgin Mobile though?

What's that got to do with DTV? :erm:

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

Ntl/Telewest probably have 2mil or so broadband customers. If the modems cost about £20.00 a pop (rough guess) how much would it cost to replace them all without even factoring in the costs of installing/dispatching them.

It would be the same again for STB's. They could continue to use the Ntl/Telewest branded ones that are refurbished or spend millions to ensure every customer gets a shiny new one.

Generally speaking on the TV if/when if changes to Virgin Cable or whatever I'm sure the EPG will be updated so your mates will see who you have whenever you change a channel.

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

ive got, nynex C&W and NTL, logos kicking round on different wall sockets etc.. im looking forward to having another logo to add to the collection...

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

Sometime in 2007 the whole company is going to be rebranded as Virgin. Its part of the deal they get to use the Virgin name for a long time and pay some money to Branson each year from the profits.

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

The Virgin Brand has a meaning in the mobile phone market but not in the DTV market. Why would they use the virgin brand in the DTV market?:erm:

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

I really can't see a good reason for this to be seperate from the main thread.

ntl/virgin are not going to do anything about existing units with ntl/tw/whatever on them - there's just no reason to waste money on any such exercise, and this topic is now just turning into another virgin discussion. It will be merged soon.

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

They are going to have to change either one or both of the names they currently use.

Virgin have a good name with customers for service and value so they might as well call their cable service Virgin cable or something similar.

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

its simply because Virgin is a better name in terms of cust service, and its really well known. They might as well have 1 name for the whole company as they will be offering the 4 services.

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

well im sure there must be some ex on digital customers that got the itv digital stickers in the post ....... i can remember them like it was yesterday

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

No they dont, there are 1000's of companies that maintain several brands. They use the strongest brand for that particular product (well they do if they have any sense)

Can you imagine for example Hoover buying Virgin mobile and then rebranding the vacuming business as Virgin?? People have for years said "i'm going to do the hoovering" priceless branding there. The phrase "i'm going to do the Virgining" just doesnt quite work ;)

I dont think Virgin have that good a name for customer service. Virgin dialup??

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

But very few have directly competing products. If Ntl/Telewest get their act together on the LLU offerings they were making noises about then they would be competing directly against each other.
As it is we will see Telewests and Ntl's offerings to on-net customers get closer to each others packages it would be stupidity to keep them as separate entities.

Who do you think runs Virgin Dialup? I'll give you a clue. It isn't Virgin, they flogged it to another company a few years back, a company with the letters n, l and t in their name.

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

Companies tend not to maintain brandnames that compete with their other brands. They may have different brands for different areas of the same market (for instance, Matsu****a own Panasonic, Teac, Technics and Tascam - all in the hifi business, but all selling to different areas of the market)
But Virgin Mobile is in the Comms industry, as is NTL.

Virgin started in the Entertainment industry, and to a large extent, still is. As is NTL.

Still, not being in the industry hasn't stopped Virgin before. Hence Virgin Airlines, Virgin Finance, Virgin Cola, Virgin Perfumes etc

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

but can red virgin make the red button on ntl work ?

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

Of course they wont, ntl/TW will take on the Virgin Brand in Jan 2007 and only from then forward will the Virgin brand be put on equipment and letterheads etc.

There will certainly be no retrospective re-branding.

I can't fathom any reason whatsoever why anyone could be against this move, a strong company to take on Sky and BT and everyone else can only be good for the consumer.

I think it's great. The only downside is the impending redundancies

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

They made a big issue of the quad-play services of TV, phone, internet and mobile. You cannot bundle all that together if they have different company names!

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

I am against it because it cost money and I hate large companies, since the telewest merger their is already signs of things that occur at monopolistic companies and who is to say the same wont happen with the virgin merger.

BT and Sky are not huge forces that need mergers to compete against, merging with virgin eg. does nothing to increase ntl's national coverage but does create problems in that once again their will be staff changes restructuring and merging of systems the company is never settled down.

Who is to say customers in the future that refuse to buy mobile services and not have quadrupled play will then be penalised for not having full takeup and as such pay more for it, like now if you dont have triple play.

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

No doubt you bank with your sweet shop, and drive a pony and trap, you obtain your gas and electric from a bloke up the road and do all your shopping at a country market and refuse to watch BBC and ITV


like what?

and who is to say it will, whatever it is you're talking about.

Ha, BT the biggest monopoly there was, and even after the merger they're still much, much larger. Sky still control nearly all of the programming and fix the price accordingly.

[/quote] merging with virgin eg. does nothing to increase ntl's national coverage [/quote] Er I think you'll find it nearly doubles it.

economies of scale to help save the money you hate them spending

Then that will be ntls mistake as there are plenty of other providers out there

Re: Virgin Stickers >
 

Are you talking about the same BT and Sky the rest of us are?

Sky and BT both have near 100% coverage of the population, a lot greater coverage than the combined cable companies.

Sky also have access to an awful lot of facilities and money, through their parent corporation, News Corp (which also owns various media companies all over the world, including Fox in the USA). News Corp has shown it is willing to take massive losses from a subsidiary just to get it's name established in that area.

I personally think Cable needs all the help it can get to compete against them.

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

There is also the fact that sky uplink not only their own programming but also a fair few other channels as well, which ntl are in effect distributing for sky on the cable network

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

The coverage is ntl's choice.

900 million for expansion, or acquisition of company, they made their choice.

BT I think are no longer dominant in the telephone sector, landlines are a dying sector and even those with landlines have the option of 3rd party providers to reduce their call costs, some people think including myself that ntl/telewest now need some form of regulating been the ONLY cable company in the uk and having a monopoly on cable telecom services.

On sky please explain to me how buying a cellphone company stops a tv company monopoly?

Things changed since telewest merger that monopolising companies tend to do -

Above inflation price rises
New charges introduced for things that used to be free
Less care for customers (removal of 0800 support) (removal of directline to retentions)

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Good articles at the Telegragh on the merger.

In short - Take up all the 4play services and you'll get free tv service.

More at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/mai...ixcitytop.html
and at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/mai...09/ixcity.html

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

I have too agree. NTL/TW's footprint decreases every year, not increases. Here in the South there is building everywhere, NTL doesn't lay ducts to these sites, so our "percentage cover" drop every year

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Construction is very, very expensive. Especially as you can only expect around 30% take up.

That's why ntl and TW will not be undertaking any major build. I believe there's some build to be done in Liverpool and London but that's it.

But the customer base is expanding through LLU. So there's no need to have a large construction programme

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Like Ntl didn't know that when they first went on a spending spree buying cable franchises.

Much easier to get the cheque book out and buy another company than to put a spade to the ground!

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

But LLU is twisted copper, and very vey old twisted pair to boot, and very limited!
Far better to build ya own network, than jump on someone elses, ala Virgin, who dont own a network!!

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Maybe but you can still get DTV. broadband etc from a twisted pair.

It's much, much cheaper to bang some equipment into a BT exchange then start digging up the roads again.

It may be better, but it's not cheaper. There just isn't the money available for large construction projects

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Would ntl/ telewest have been better trying to purchase somebody like the carphone warehouse instead of virgin ?

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

I don't see why, CPW is more of a retailer than anything else. Yes they offer Fixed line services but only as a reseller.

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

i think the keyword here is "branding" ;)

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

what has made more of a impact

ntl buying virgin ?

or

carphone warehouse free broadband ?

imagine the news if ntl had purchased cpw and then this :Yikes:

Re: ALL Virgin / NTL merger discussion
 

Well it would mean that all the Ntl customers would have to get a BT line installed to take advantage of the new offer so probably not the best idea. :dozey: