[rodd]

It doesn't alter the fact that ntl's 150k (172k with the added 22k) is the worst value-for-money product at around that price.

For a mere £1 extra (Plus.net at £18.99 against ntl at £17.99) , and one-off-cost £42 modem, you can get ADSL 500k download, 250k upload. The reconnection of a BT telephone line is free.

It's true broadband from Plus.net, almost 3 times (2.9) faster downloading, and 4 times faster uploading than ntl's product, which is not even classed as broadband by Oftel.

Very few will want to keep their ntl telephone landline, when they can get that massive, 3 times and 4 times performance with Plus.net ADSL. For just that better performance value alone, most would consider it worth getting the BT line.

Other BT line advantages are more choices of BB supplier, often cheaper and with better service. More telephone supplier choices, including caller display.

A few may be tied in to a digital ntl package that uses a ntl line, but for the 1,500,000 (roughly) analogue users, that is not a factor. The others will no doubt, consider the massive performance gains of Plus.net between those two products, and all the other gains of having a BT line, and change over.

NTL is just not competitive against the numerous choices of ADSL providers that are now available. You can do far better than ntl, by switching to ADSL (if within range), which is now so simple and hassle-free to do. (There is more on switching in the section - 'Alternatives to ntl').

The competition against ntl is now so very strong, that ntl will continue to fall behind, until they start to become more competitive.

Customers are becoming more aware of how hassle-free that changing suppliers can be, and changing suppliers will become increasingly commonplace, which will add to the competitiveness.