[Merged]Ntl to buy Telewest

[Bob]

Sounds promising

[shibby]

would be cool because prices could go down. if my parents was to switch with sky and bt. they only be saving much expect a £1
currently the ntl bill which is 2mb internet, 2 set top boxes. telephone. big £50 package and telephone. comes in around £150 every month.

this merger will be worth it i think.

[nathan123]

i've had nothing but trouble with the NTL helpline and engineers don't seem to want to do a proper job. it takes me roughly about 30 mins to get through to NTL on a good day. we had a lot of problems with the tv service and it was way too expensive so we changed to sky, now we get more channels for less money. i cant see a merger being a bad thing for either company, as Telewest seem to have the customer skills that NTL seriously lack, but NTL have the customers

[Pierre]

I have it on good authority that the new company post merger will be initially called "UK Cable"

However, I must add that this is the authority that also advised me that a press statement would be released several week ago announcing the merger.

Still they insist that the merger willbe well underway in 3 months or so.

[bob_builder]

Maybe they should follow Sky's trend and call themselves Ground!

[poolking]

Or call themselves a gas company?

The merger will be announced 'no later than the end of this month' according to this morning's Scotsman. NTL are expected to make a combined cash-and-shares offer to buy Telewest, at about $24 per share.

[Paul K]

Originally Posted by Chris T

The merger will be announced 'no later than the end of this month' according to this morning's Scotsman. NTL are expected to make a combined cash-and-shares offer to buy Telewest, at about $24 per share.

I just hope they retain the positives from both companies and use this as an opportunity to improve certain things.

Originally Posted by Paul

I just hope they retain the positives from both companies and use this as an opportunity to improve certain things.

Nah, they will do the same as all major corporate mergers since the beginning of time - senior executives fight each other for the jobs in the new company while middle management adopt an 'us and them' attitude when dealing with new colleagues from the 'other' company. Everyone will be so busy guarding their own backs and looking after number 1 that the combined company and its products will be a direct consequence of who won the p***ing contest in each department, and not what works best as a unified, customer-winning proposition.

Sorry, am I being a bit cynical this morning?

[Paul K]

Originally Posted by Chris T

Sorry, am I being a bit cynical this morning?

Where?

[Neil]

Originally Posted by El Reg

NTL and Telewest are weeks away from cementing their merger, according to a report by The Independent on Sunday.

The paper cites insiders who say that the deal looks set to be inked by the end of July, just in time for those behind the £6.8bn merger to complete the paperwork before pushing off for a well-earned rest and a month in the sun.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/04/ntl_telwest/

Oh dear, those poor poor Telewest customers-they really won't know what's hit them......

[Raistlin]

Originally Posted by Neil

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/07/04/ntl_telwest/

Oh dear, those poor poor Telewest customers-they really won't know what's hit them......

And they'll never find out either, they won't be able to get to any websites because of the stoopid transparent proxies

[Chrysalis]

hahahaha

[lenolondon]

Merger .... a good idea, then they can jointly get on and complete the franchsie areas they have both appeared to have not completed as in the time scales of thier licences and franchise's

How ever Telwest services are more reliable, and also theres no limits on such things as Talk Unlimited unlike the silly practice on NTL of having to hang up and redial, and the Blueyonder Internet services has to be one of the most reliable and value for money there is, and again no limits.

If Telewest customers have to adopt NTL services, then I might consider Cable and Wireless's Bull Dog services over the local BT loop
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it will be called NTL ..... although personally I think the 2 firms could run side by side combining the services like installtion etc, but keep both names operating as both being part of UK Cable .... and then they could take over the number 3 firm Wightcable

It's worth re-stressing the point being made in the media at the moment, that while we've been using the word 'merger' all these months, what is actually happening is NTL buying Telewest. It will be interesting to see what happens in the boardroom. It could still turn out as a very interesting reverse-takeover, in which NTL buys Telewest, but Telewest management takes over the combined company.