Chris

NTL has come to an arrangement with AOL that allows AOL to re-brand and re-sell some NTL bandwidth for broadband internet. What is being discussed here is the possibility of fully opening the cable network to third parties in the way that BT's network is, so you can take services from a different phone company, for example.

Personally I see no reason why NTL should do this. BT is sitting on a natonwide network that was formerly State owned (i.e., built with our taxes), so it's too damn right they should not be able to abuse the monopoly position we gave them by denying us access to other services via that network. NTL and Telewest networks, on the other hand, are the product of private investment and those who put up the money for it should be allowed to reap the benefits of their investment (assuming their shares are still worth anything, thanks to that rather ill-advised bout of rapid expansion both cablecos went on in the late 90s).

I would have liked to have had a choice of provider down my NTL phone line, of course, but I fully accept the reasons why that would not be fair!