A little inside information by an Employee.

[pharrell]

Having worked for BT, Sky, TalkTalk (Carphone Warehouse) & HomeCall (Phones4u) whilst being a student, and now a full time position with NTL.Telewest I have the information to inform customers of all products and prices, and keep myself upto date with product information regularly.

First let me start off by saying, this offer everyone keeps talking about, with Sky giving free broadband, there is a 2Gibabyte monthly usage limit - as soon as this is exceeded, you will be charged accordingly - no company gives broadband away for free, and doesn't make a profit somewhere along the line, they have shareholders to please, not just their customers.

Secondly, BT's broadband, UPTO 8MB, only 7% of the UK are eligable to recieve this (you need to live close to the Local Exchange Data Centre), as BT use old 1870's copper wire network technology, when NTL.Telewest have fibre-optic cables which can support upto 100MB/s - To put this into perspective, South Korea only have fibre-optic cables, and their average broadband user is on a 90-100MB/s connection, and with Japan, they have the capability to give 1GB (1024MB) broadband to users - They have the fastest broadband connections in the world - so fibre-optics is the broadband of the future, where as BT would have to spend over £7billion to upgrade their networks, which I can't see them doing for at least the next 15/20years, and only because they will have to, to keep up with the rest of the world - and as TalkTalk, HomeCall, Sky, Toucan and any other major ISP all "piggy-back" on BT's network, they will be stuck in a loop too - why do you think AOL (America On-Line) have just signed a major contract with NTL.Telewest, so their customers can enjoy the benefits when the UK catches up with the rest of the world, especially the Far East.

As for the prices, NTL.Telewest give you free Line Rental (with CableTV packages), Free Weekend Calls to all Local & National UK home telephones - Our call package prices are dropping, we are the first company in Europe to offer "Quad-Play" - visit the websites, compare the prices, and you will see, NTL.Telewest works out cheaper, and you will be able to get it all on the one bill, so it's convenient too.

I know there will be questions and querys, so i'll drop by and answer them, untill then, Enjoy NTL.Telewest if you are with them, and if not, jump on the bandwagon quickly, or be stuck with the service a developing country would have.

Regards,

A Customer Care Advisor.

[Chris W]

So how much would it cost Ntl to upgrade all of the parts of their network that are currently CATV to Fibre? And are you aware of the maximum speed the UBRs can handle? certainly not 100meg.

And are you sure AOL have just signed a contract with NTL, not infact Carphone Warehouse?

http://www.cbronline.com/article_new...C-C596542DBB6A

Nice sales pitch though.

[murfitUK]

Originally Posted by pharrell

Secondly, BT's broadband, UPTO 8MB, only 7% of the UK are eligable to recieve this (you need to live close to the Local Exchange Data Centre), as BT use old 1870's copper wire network technology, when NTL.Telewest have fibre-optic cables which can support upto 100MB/s

What's the point in boasting about having cables capable of 100MB/s when my 4Meg service won't go above dial-up speed for 8 or 9 hours each day?

And BT's claim of 8MB being applicable to 7% of the UK... isn't ntl making similar false claims by advertising UPTO 4Meg when the network is obviously not capable of delivering. Might as well advertise a service upto 1 billion trillion gazillion MB/s and then when the complaints come in say "Ah, we didn't promise you would get that speed, we said upto..." which is the reason ntl complained about another service provider's adverts. Pot & kettle?

[injuneer]

Originally Posted by Chris W

So how much would it cost Ntl to upgrade all of the parts of their network that are currently CATV to Fibre? And are you aware of the maximum speed the UBRs can handle? certainly not 100meg.

And are you sure AOL have just signed a contract with NTL, not infact Carphone Warehouse?

http://www.cbronline.com/article_new...C-C596542DBB6A

Nice sales pitch though.

Ntl lost the contract for AOL 2 years ago, unless they've signed a new one!!

[Womble]

Originally Posted by pharrell

BT use old 1870's copper wire network technology, when NTL.Telewest have fibre-optic cables which can support upto 100MB/s - so fibre-optics is the broadband of the future, where as BT would have to spend over £7billion to upgrade their networks, which I can't see them doing for at least the next 15/20years, and only because they will have to, to keep up with the rest of the world -.

Do believe BT are spending it!!! Its called 21C (21st Century Network) MetNet to NTL bods (Owned by BT???? So I hear)
BT plan to run ethernet to the home, cheaper than Fibre, and safer! 100m BB, TV VoIP etc
NTL's network also has restrictions, not least the amount of maintenance the HFC network requires, saying that BT et all only offer "Narrow Band" with compression, NTL:Telewest offer true "Broadband"
To keep up with the "Jones's" NTL:TW have to make a decsion very soon, either upgrade the HFC network, or Upgrade the Telco Network and do Ethernet to the home. Either way we have to spend ££Ã ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£Ã‚£ ££

Originally Posted by pharrell

and as TalkTalk, HomeCall, Sky, Toucan and any other major ISP all "piggy-back" on BT's network, they will be stuck in a loop too - .

Thats why BT are building 21C, so they can cut loose from the "copper" exchanges, and the LLU boys can fight over the bones!!!!

Originally Posted by pharrell

As for the prices, NTL.Telewest give you free Line Rental (with CableTV packages), Free Weekend Calls to all Local & National UK home telephones - Our call package prices are dropping, we are the first company in Europe to offer "Quad-Play" - visit the websites, compare the prices, and you will see, NTL.Telewest works out cheaper, and you will be able to get it all on the one bill, so it's convenient too.

Regards,

A Customer Care Advisor.

Top sales pitch!!!!

Originally Posted by Womble

MetNet to NTL bods (Owned by BT???? So I hear)

Owned by NTL.

[Womble]

Originally Posted by Bill C

Owned by NTL.

I thought BT payed for it, although its "Owned" by us??


http://www.btplc.com/21cn/

so whats the timescale on this 21C? I knew this was on the cards but this is gonna take ages surely?

[Womble]

Originally Posted by zinglebarb

so whats the timescale on this 21C? I knew this was on the cards but this is gonna take ages surely?

2011!!

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Womble

To keep up with the "Jones's" NTL:TW have to make a decsion very soon, either upgrade the HFC network, or Upgrade the Telco Network and do Ethernet to the home. Either way we have to spend ££Ã ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£Ãƒâ€šÃ‚£Ã‚£ ££

I understand the Architecture people in ntl have already made their decisions, but I also understand they have done this in isolation without realising what capabilities they actually have out at the sharp end. Now that solution is being exposed to the corporate engineering people who knows whats going on in the region, and they have said (to my knowledge) 'Sorry that will not work on our current infrastructure'

The solution that the ntl/TW people have come up with will require a huge amount of cash to spend, it will probably involve bringing Barclay knapp back to fool some investors out of their money to fund it.

ntl/TW are in a dire situation as far as making large upgrades to their network infrastructure, they are unable to keep the company afloat without making cost cuts in every area of the business, so they have no chance of self funding and to put it another way, would you lend them the money if you had it. (I know the answer to that)

ntl/TW are certainly up the creek without a paddle, not enough revenue to sufficiently support the business and I cant imagine too many investors coming forward to hand over cash. Although, as we all know statistics can be made to look great!

Originally Posted by Womble

I thought BT payed for it, although its "Owned" by us??


http://www.btplc.com/21cn/

I am under the impression we are on about Metnet here. ? The same metnet using alcatel switches in the head ends and hub sites.

I have been working on Metnet for the last year now.

Originally Posted by Womble

2011!!

Thats cool though time flies and it does need to be done.Its the preverbial light at the end of the tunnel

[breamhunter]

Originally Posted by pharrell

As for the prices, NTL.Telewest give you free Line Rental (with CableTV packages), Free Weekend Calls to all Local & National UK home telephones - Our call package prices are dropping, we are the first company in Europe to offer "Quad-Play" - visit the websites, compare the prices, and you will see, NTL.Telewest works out cheaper, and you will be able to get it all on the one bill, so it's convenient too.


A Customer Care Advisor.

Actually no you don`t, you (the company you work for) charge the Phone line price in with the TV if you want the phone line or not.

Call charges aren`t the best also and what about the pricing of the "Minimum Call Charge"?

And why the hell did NTL buy Virgin? There are so many Mobile phone deals out there, i`m on O2 Pay & Go, I top Up £10.00 a month for that I get 100 credits to spend on calls or texts (x net call is 1 credit text is also 1 credit), I get 10% off my Topups back, I also get O2 treats and top it all off the £10 I put on is still mine!!!

For NTL to get back the money they spent on Virgin Mobile is going to take ages if they are doing 4 for £40 (£10 of that is Virgin Mobile).

They should of put that money to better use and either upgraded the network and also extended their reach with more cable hence more paying customers for Broadband, Telephone and TV.

Just my 2 pence worth

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Escapee

ntl/TW are certainly up the creek without a paddle, not enough revenue to sufficiently support the business and I cant imagine too many investors coming forward to hand over cash. Although, as we all know statistics can be made to look great!

Don't count your eggs. Time Warner Cable have talked about NTL and a possible future european expansion.

http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/article/ds38109.html

[breamhunter]

Originally Posted by Stuart C

Don't count your eggs. Time Warner Cable have talked about NTL and a possible future european expansion.

There is a god