NTL may sell NTL Ireland

[sherer]

see link for full story

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01..._sale_rumours/

[andrew_wallasey]

Selling it would not make any sense unless it is something to do with the merger with T/w.

[orangebird]

Originally Posted by andrew_wallasey

Selling it would not make any sense unless it is something to do with the merger with T/w.

Why not? It's totally (opertaionally and financially) seperate from the rest of the UK company anyway... Makes sense to me either way

[Tristan]

*cue Escapee horror story about the shoddiness of NTL Ireland's operations*

[Neil]

Originally Posted by andrew_wallasey

Selling it would not make any sense unless it is something to do with the merger with T/w.

Why not exactly?

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Tristan

*cue Escapee horror story about the shoddiness of NTL Ireland's operations*

You may laugh!!!

But to be honest I dont think it fits in with the rest of their operation, it's a build technology ntl have always struggled to understand. I know they had big problems with the re-build out there, and were asking at one time of any of the old cable TV guys ie: Rediffusion were interested in going out to show them how it should be done, I understand they didn't have anyone who knew how to make off strain wires and string cables between poles correctly.

There were a lot of problems because the contarctors were not used to working on overhead systems, and the few ntl guys that I knew from elsewhere in the company that went out to work on the system had no experience of overhead as they had only worked on building systems for ntl.

I think it's the right decision to sell in their situation, an experienced company could probably operate it and make a decent profit.

PS: I'm not certain what the current situation is with the BT systems that ntl bought about 5 years ago, I know they were a headache and it wouldn't suprise me if they wanted to offload them as well.

[Pierre]

PS: I'm not certain what the current situation is with the BT systems that ntl bought about 5 years ago, I know they were a headache and it wouldn't suprise me if they wanted to offload them as well.

Probably.

Selling Broadcast and now ntl:Eire. it would appear to be that ntl are boosting their balance sheet. This is generally done when wanting to chase investment or to sell the company. I don't believe the current board want to sell so I can only assume that a healthy balance sheet is required for the merger with Telewest, once the companies merge and they have a heathly amount of cash in the bank they can then attract investment into the new company.

Also, ntl have scrapped something in the region of 100 projects that were planned or ongoing for 2005. Again not spending money to boost the balance sheet.

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Pierre

Probably.

Selling Broadcast and now ntl:Eire. it would appear to be that ntl are boosting their balance sheet. This is generally done when wanting to chase investment or to sell the company. I don't believe the current board want to sell so I can only assume that a healthy balance sheet is required for the merger with Telewest, once the companies merge and they have a heathly amount of cash in the bank they can then attract investment into the new company.

Also, ntl have scrapped something in the region of 100 projects that were planned or ongoing for 2005. Again not spending money to boost the balance sheet.

Yes I had heard a lot of projects had been scrapped, including some that were put on hold and considered fairly urgent a few years ago. The ups project and transponders for nodes went very quiet before I left, also the proposed "flexi" lead replacement project. The company supplying the flexi-leads for the connection between amplifiers and hardline coax screwed up big time. The assembly had a heatshrink over the connector, and it was found that many of them had been heatshrunk without the connector being torqued together. A fair number of return path ingress was traced to this problem, and the supplier re-supplied ntl with a complete set (thousands) and I think some compensation towards labour for replacement.

I guess those items are still in one of the stores somewhere, it was proposed that they were replaced when the ups and transponder project was planneed to be done.

I did also hear that a launch amplier project for headends and hubsites in one area has been scrapped as well, so it does look like they are watching the pennies.

[tino]

y

[poolking]

Originally Posted by tino

y

Not a very good first post, care to elaborate?

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by poolking

Not a very good first post, care to elaborate?

They are rumoured to be announcing further disposals tomorrow

[Pierre]

That's right, there's a big announcement today regarding COBI, which is the operations side of ntl:Home.

Redundancies are expected.

[iadom]

Looks like it's a done deal. article

[Neil]

And it's gone....

ntl Ireland sold for â‚ ¬325m
09/05/2005 - 18:18:18

ntl today announced that it has completed the sale of its telecommunications operations in the Republic of Ireland to MS Irish Cable Holdings, an affiliate of Morgan Stanley, for â‚ ¬325m.

Simon Duffy, chief executive officer of ntl, said: "We are very pleased to have sold our division in the Republic of Ireland on these terms. This transaction reinforces our commitment to maintaining a clear focus on growing and improving our UK communications and content distribution businesses.

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/stor...08&p=y4z4489y4

[Pierre]

Money in the bank to finance a certain iminent business transaction.