Why are Telewest Broadband so Expensive?

[spcesq]

I was an NTL broad band customer for over 2 years and when i left last month due to house move, i moved over to telewest 2MB service costing an incredible 34.99 a month, the same speed with NTL was 24.99, and their 1MB was only 9.99, this is a standard price, with no offers attached.

How can Telewest justify this 40% price difference?

Telewest customers are being fleeced.

[MovedGoalPosts]

to Cable Forum

I hadn't noticed how pricey their upper Broadband tiers had become, relative to other cable / ADSL services. Their 500k and 1 Meg services appear reasonable though.

Bottom line is that many customers do have a choice, whether or not to pay for the upper tiers. They can downgrade to more value for money pricing (if they can accept the loss of speed) or move to an ADSL ISP if there is one in the area. When customers start voting with their feet, Telewest would sit up and notice.

It's worth remembering that for a long while Telewest rather than ntl have been the instigators of speed increases. Just looks like at the moment they have got themselves out of sync with the broadband market.

[spcesq]

Originally Posted by Rob C

to Cable Forum

I hadn't noticed how pricey their upper Broadband tiers had become, relative to other cable / ADSL services. Their 500k and 1 Meg services appear reasonable though.

Bottom line is that many customers do have a choice, whether or not to pay for the upper tiers. They can downgrade to more value for money pricing (if they can accept the loss of speed) or move to an ADSL ISP if there is one in the area. When customers start voting with their feet, Telewest would sit up and notice.

It's worth remembering that for a long while Telewest rather than ntl have been the instigators of speed increases. Just looks like at the moment they have got themselves out of sync with the broadband market.

Yes but even 1mb through Telewest is 24.99 that £15 dearer than NTL. This is not right, Why should someone in Glasgow pay 9.99 for 1MB and just because I live in Edinburgh I have to pay 24.99. That is my point, whether or not I choose a slower speed or not is irrelevent, the whole point is a like for like service that 40-60% more expensive with Telewest.

[Ignition]

Originally Posted by spcesq

THEY ARE NOW BOTH THE SAME COMPANY !!!!

Really? News to me and to everyone else.

[Raistlin]

Possibly referring to this:

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/...r-edges-closer

Although it hasn't happened, yet.....

[MovedGoalPosts]

Originally Posted by spcesq

Yes but even 1mb through Telewest is 24.99 that £15 dearer than NTL. This is not right, Why should someone in Glasgow pay 9.99 for 1MB and just because I live in Edinburgh I have to pay 24.99. That is my point, whether or not I choose a slower speed or not is irrelevent, the whole point is a like for like service that 40-60% more expensive with Telewest.

I agree and sympathise but when the government awarded franchise areas to the cable companies, they didn't build in competition. Compared to BT based services, pricing and the like over cable is virtually unregulated. That allows each cable to to set the price that it can get away with. As the companies try to get out of debt and actually make money they will charge the maximum they think the market will bear. Yes that means some prices are too high by comparison, but customers do have a choice of whterh or not to subscribe.

In fact it's only ADSL competition that is forcing cable cos to change their prices and serivces. When Telewest & NTL do finally get to merge who knows what packages and prices we might end up with.

I'm not disagreeing with you that the price is too high, or trying to defend Telewest. It's more a case of pointing out the facts of life that the tarrifs don't have to be fair.

[Ignition]

Originally Posted by Raistlin

Possibly referring to this:

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/...r-edges-closer

Although it hasn't happened, yet.....

Kinda irrelevant then.

Telewest charge more because they are completely uncapped and apparently don't care how much anyone uses their service. This costs money to support.

Sorry to urinate on the bonfires of the anti-cap crew but that's the difference between the products and that's what makes one so much more expensive than the other sadly.

[Jules]

Welcome to the forum It must be annoying when you see other people get the services so much cheaper than you just because of were you live

[m419]

The Conservative goverment in the 1980's also awarded Mercury Communications the right to operate telephony, a division of Cable and Wireless,British Aerospace and Barclays Plc now wholly owned by Cable and wireless was the first competitor to BT offering Residential and Business telephony services and products.

Mercury did not offer Cable TV services. Mercury offered residential and business customers access to it's service via BT landlines usaully through 131 and 132 access numbers. Alternatively, you could use Mercury's own network infrastructure where available.

In 1986, Mercury operated public payphone services, by 1994 it had 2,500 payphones operating across the UK. They were Digital payphones which were more advanced than BT's payphones.

In 1991, Cable and Wireless operated 2 small cable franchises and 1994 offered Telephone services.

In 1992, Mercury launched freephone number: 0500,local rate 0645 and national rate 0541. These were similar to BT's services.

In 1993, Mercury and Media One launched the worlds first Digital mobile service 'One2One'. The service covered London and Radlett only until 1996, when it was spreading to other towns and cities.

In 1995, Mercury withdrew 1,000 payphones and sold 1,500 to IPM Communications who traded Mercury payphones as Interphone with new kiosks and phones. (Orange coloured)

In 1996, Cable and Wireless purchased Videotron UK,Nynex and Atlantic Cable which were merged altogether and created CWC Comms which traded as Cable and Wireless Residential.

In 1997,Mercury now traded as Cable and Wireless.

In 2000, IPM UK/Interphone was purchased by Premier Managed payphones, NTL consumerCorp purchased CWC Comms. NTL and NPower also purchased the former Mercury residential service. The residential service is now operated by Tiscali.

In 2001, One2one was purchased by Deutsch Telekom and now trades as T-Mobile UK

In 2004, Interphone Public Networks (Mercury payphones) go into liquidation. Cable and Wireless purchases Bulldog Communications, the new residential sector of cable and wireless.

In 2005, Bulldog offers telephony via Cable and Wireless network (Mercury).

Mercury/CW Companies today:

One2One: T-mobile
Mercury payphones: Interphone and Spectrum Interactive
Mercury Residential: Tiscali,NTL
Mercury paging: PageONE
CWC Comms: NTL

Originally Posted by Rob C

I agree and sympathise but when the government awarded franchise areas to the cable companies, they didn't build in competition. Compared to BT based services, pricing and the like over cable is virtually unregulated. That allows each cable to to set the price that it can get away with. As the companies try to get out of debt and actually make money they will charge the maximum they think the market will bear. Yes that means some prices are too high by comparison, but customers do have a choice of whterh or not to subscribe.

In fact it's only ADSL competition that is forcing cable cos to change their prices and serivces. When Telewest & NTL do finally get to merge who knows what packages and prices we might end up with.

I'm not disagreeing with you that the price is too high, or trying to defend Telewest. It's more a case of pointing out the facts of life that the tarrifs don't have to be fair.