NTL Broadcast Sale In Doubt

[themelon]

Originally Posted by ianathuth

I am sure that is the case but it makes you wonder why no other company, particularly the cablecos, has introduced a satellite viewing service.

Presumably it would cost more to run, than it would pull in. And does Satellite really have a long future.........or is IP the future? Certainally in many countries Cable is the preferred reception medium.

I think the Cable cos would rather invest in trying to find a 'killer' product, that will tempt people over to them, or tap into a previously untapped market perhaps VOD?

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Ignition

If your company were bidding for a major contract with a company which then got OfCom'd and that contract was cancelled, with the result possible loss in jobs including yours, I doubt you'd hold that same attitude. OfCom seem intent on trying to break up the natural monopoly industries while the services they provide are driven straight into the ground.

This isn't a personal thing for your amusement people's jobs could be threatened over this if ntl and Crown Castle are forced to spend a load of money so that others can take their business off them.

Glad that entertains you so much. Personally I think it's horrid, and no doubt any ntl:Broadcast people who may have their careers threatened if Ofcom decide to chop into the margins of a future owner or ntl:Broadcast themselves wouldn't be overly amused either.

Here's hoping that your company after however many decades for christ's sake of operating as they are aren't large enough to get the attention of this regulator incase they feel the need to make some work for themselves by deciding you need extra competition, oh and expecting you to pay to make it possible, along with massive CapEx on new digital platforms.

Summary, that was a petty, inconsiderate and overall crappy thing to say. Hopefully you'll have a think about all the people whose job losses you ranted about and remember how they felt, this decision could quite easily arrange for more people to be joining them. I'm happy you're happy about it.

The whole point of my comment is that I stated when Carter left ntl, he would find some way of sticking the knife in when he could. It was well known that there was no love loss during his last few months with the company.

I would have a smile if certain "jobs for the boys" type managers and the ones who treat employees badly were to get their just deserve.

I think this is another case of sopmeone jumping to a conclusion about my thread, and making the assumption that I think every ntl employee should lose their job.

Please feel free to post any of my previous posts (complete post) where I have stated any pleasure in general/good employees losing their jobs!
if you can find any posts or any ntl employee who knows me, and claims I have ever made such a general statement I will eat my hat. In fact they would of probably tackled me on one of my nights out with some of them if it were the case.

Look at the facts, and don't just twist things to try to get people on this forum to have a go at me by posting things that are lies. If I say things about ntl and "specific managers" you dont like you just have to live with it and not get abusive about it or try to drum up a sympathy vote.

[Ignition]

Can't see where I'm trying to do that, you said something I thought was out of order and I told you so.
I really don't care what you say about ntl or specific managers to be honest, you might wanna try hearing both sides of those stories though because no doubt there are very different sides.
This distraction from the main thread over methinks.

EDIT: Part of my irritation is that I meet broadcast people on a daily basis and they're a good bunch, I don't see what any beefs you have with home managers are to do with them to be honest nor do I see this as Steve Carter sticking the knife in, he's had plenty of chance to do that already, and however moronic I consider OfCom to be, they aren't stupid enough to risk legal action on themselves.

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Ignition

Can't see where I'm trying to do that, you said something I thought was out of order and I told you so.
I really don't care what you say about ntl or specific managers to be honest, you might wanna try hearing both sides of those stories though because no doubt there are very different sides.
This distraction from the main thread over methinks.

EDIT: Part of my irritation is that I meet broadcast people on a daily basis and they're a good bunch, I don't see what any beefs you have with home managers are to do with them to be honest nor do I see this as Steve Carter sticking the knife in, he's had plenty of chance to do that already, and however moronic I consider OfCom to be, they aren't stupid enough to risk legal action on themselves.

Just for the record, I do appreciate what it's like for people to loose their jobs through lost contracts, I can speak through experience.

I worked for a company that supplied $10M worth of equipment and had an agreed $1M a year maintenance contract, the company who placed the order took delivery of all the equipment and had it all installed by the coompany I was working for. they then tried every trick in the book to avoid paying, and tried to go back on the maintenance agreement that was agreed by both parties.

The company involved in this underhanded practice eventually managed to get away without paying for over $40M worth of orders signed by this one director alone, they went into chapter 11.

They also placed some large orders with another company promising to pay out of the next years budget shortly before this happened.

The director in question left the company earlier this year under a cloud of suspicion and investigation, I understand he is now a CEO of a company in the caribbean (Bermuda)

Yes, the company who conducted this and many similar rip offs that put people out of work was your very own ntl
I do speak from some experience on this matter, I was the cynical one who said from early on that ntl would never pay for the equipment or honour the maintenance contract. In fact all the ex-ntl employees involved in the fiasco thought the same.

[Ignition]

Originally Posted by Escapee

snip

I have some sympathy, however credit ratings are there for a reason and ntl's was appauling in the year and more before they went into Chapter 11, if your director viewed them an acceptable risk it's as much his and the underwriters / actuaries fault.

However that said you still take the chance to have another swipe at ntl, you were out of order with what you said originally in my opinion simple as and are trying to make excuses (though a good chance to have a swipe can't be missed can it?) - get over it and your problems with ntl, you don't work for them anymore and haven't for some time, holding a grudge is unhealthy.

EDIT: and yes you do clearly hold a grudge still your signature tells its' own pretty clear story.

Originally Posted by Ignition

However that said you still take the chance to have another swipe at ntl, you were out of order with what you said originally in my opinion simple as and are trying to make excuses (though a good chance to have a swipe can't be missed can it?) - get over it and your problems with ntl, you don't work for them anymore and haven't for some time, holding a grudge is unhealthy.

EDIT: and yes you do clearly hold a grudge still your signature tells its' own pretty clear story.

About time that was said.

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Ignition

I have some sympathy, however credit ratings are there for a reason and ntl's was appauling in the year and more before they went into Chapter 11, if your director viewed them an acceptable risk it's as much his and the underwriters / actuaries fault.

However that said you still take the chance to have another swipe at ntl, you were out of order with what you said originally in my opinion simple as and are trying to make excuses (though a good chance to have a swipe can't be missed can it?) - get over it and your problems with ntl, you don't work for them anymore and haven't for some time, holding a grudge is unhealthy.

EDIT: and yes you do clearly hold a grudge still your signature tells its' own pretty clear story.

Oh, I stand corrected!

I didn't understand it was everyone elses fault bar ntl, it was obviously OK for Knapp his other kronies and other directors to fiddle the figures and deny there were any problems.

By the way Ignition, I have just been informed your little trick hasn't worked!

[Ignition]

Originally Posted by Escapee

By the way Ignition, I have just been informed your little trick hasn't worked!

That you actually think I care is the worst bit to be honest, I'm happy that you're happy + getting supportive PMs / whatever.

Sad.

EDIT: Must go, found a forum about an ex employer I feel the need to troll.

EDIT2: Ah corporate misconduct now? I don't remember any accusations of corporate misconduct being levelled against ntl, which is interesting considering they have always been a US registered company and the courts had the pleasure of going through their affairs with a fine tooth comb pre, during and post Chapter 11. Anyone who went into the records would have seen cash flow, cash in hand and all the other figures a publically listed company is required by law to produce. If your company saw that as an acceptable risk they are to blame as well, they knew what the score was.

Bad judgement absolutely, corporate misconduct?!

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Escapee

Oh, I stand corrected!

I didn't understand it was everyone elses fault bar ntl, it was obviously OK for Knapp his other kronies and other directors to fiddle the figures and deny there were any problems.

By the way Ignition, I have just been informed your little trick hasn't worked!

Poor old Escapee, I don't have any problem with him.

He's always come across as someone who just can't get over the fact that he was made redundant.

Probably thought the company wouldn't function without him and it ******es him off that they can.

Being made redundant can be quite a blow to some people, especially if in their opinion there are other less able people being kept on.

He always goes on about management in ntl being so bad etc etc, usually this only comes from his experience in the South Wales franchise.

ntl management are far from perfect, however they managed to steer the comapny from the brink of collapse to a company that at least has a future.

Yes they may have also brough the company to the brink of collapse but they were not alone in the telco industry to be caught out during this time.

ntl - Chapter 11
Global Crossing - Chapter 11
Worldcom - Chapter 11
Flag - Chapter 11
Energis - debt restructure
Telewest - debt restructure
Redstone - debt restructure
Omne - nearly went out of business, stopped building - bought by Wight cable
Atlantic - cease trading, assets bought by Gamma
186K UK - cease trading, assets bought by Hutchison
C&W - lost a fortune


There's probably more, so really ntl were not alone and have done well since. Knapp built the company, probably too fast and using other peoples money. (I lost a good few quid through the dissolution of my share options). but the company is still here, and although your sig says something about long knives etc. It will continue to be here. It may merge etc in the future but will continue to be.

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Pierre

Poor old Escapee, I don't have any problem with him.

He's always come across as someone who just can't get over the fact that he was made redundant.

Probably thought the company wouldn't function without him and it ******es him off that they can.

Being made redundant can be quite a blow to some people, especially if in their opinion there are other less able people being kept on.

He always goes on about management in ntl being so bad etc etc, usually this only comes from his experience in the South Wales franchise.

ntl management are far from perfect, however they managed to steer the comapny from the brink of collapse to a company that at least has a future.

Yes they may have also brough the company to the brink of collapse but they were not alone in the telco industry to be caught out during this time.

ntl - Chapter 11
Global Crossing - Chapter 11
Worldcom - Chapter 11
Flag - Chapter 11
Energis - debt restructure
Telewest - debt restructure
Redstone - debt restructure
Omne - nearly went out of business, stopped building - bought by Wight cable
Atlantic - cease trading, assets bought by Gamma
186K UK - cease trading, assets bought by Hutchison
C&W - lost a fortune


There's probably more, so really ntl were not alone and have done well since. Knapp built the company, probably too fast and using other peoples money. (I lost a good few quid through the dissolution of my share options). but the company is still here, and although your sig says something about long knives etc. It will continue to be here. It may merge etc in the future but will continue to be.

Oh very interesting, when did ntl make me redundant then?

That's news to me!

[Pierre]

Sorry if I'm mistaken, I did just assume this by your repeated negativity towards ntl.

If you left of your own free well then fair enough but it matters not the same gist of the post applies.

[Ignition]

It only takes an RF oscillator at 40MHz producing +70dBmV to shut the return path lasers down

How many people here have any idea what this is supposed to mean?

More to the point find me a cableco whose return paths are set up to handle that powerful a signal. As you very well know this is why power budgets are calculated across the coaxial segments and amplifiers set as they are so that when signals hit the fibre nodes they aren't at an excessive power to overdrive lasers to clipping or shutdown point.

Amazingly enough people opening up cabinets and inserting oscillations onto return path is not exactly common, and the naturally occuring impediments I've seen don't come close to doing this.

You also might like to know we're using a different supplier to the one you probably worked with now.

Nice try again though.

EDIT: Apologies to those wondering what the hell, he was trying to make out ntl's network is substandard because firing a signal a hell of a lot stronger than it's specified to handle will break it... duh.

[Escapee]

Originally Posted by Ignition

How many people here have any idea what this is supposed to mean?

More to the point find me a cableco whose return paths are set up to handle that powerful a signal. As you very well know this is why power budgets are calculated across the coaxial segments and amplifiers set as they are so that when signals hit the fibre nodes they aren't at an excessive power to overdrive lasers to clipping or shutdown point.

Amazingly enough people opening up cabinets and inserting oscillations onto return path is not exactly common, and the naturally occuring impediments I've seen don't come close to doing this.

You also might like to know we're using a different supplier to the one you probably worked with now.

Nice try again though.

EDIT: Apologies to those wondering what the hell, he was trying to make out ntl's network is substandard because firing a signal a hell of a lot stronger than it's specified to handle will break it... duh.

Oh, but people do open the cabinets and put oscillators onto the retrn path network daily!!!! suprise suprise....how else do they set the pad and EQ's at the DA's and Node?
(they can also use the stealth, but this is just a swept carrier that has to be programmed to miss the return path alocations in use)

Different supplier makes no difference, it's all the same principle. Some lasers will shut down and some will go into distortion.

you are certainly showing ignorance by saying the strong signal would break it....duh. but then again it wouldn't take much signal injected at a customers isolator box to take out the directional coupler, that would be no use as it would most likely have affect on the silly customer or neighbouring ports on the tap. If any of the network techs have taken a tap apart they will tell you they are grouped.

There is a lot of things that the vast majority of ntl employees on this board don't know about their HFC network, there are many who think they do but the people with hands on experience at optical/RF level are very few and far between here. I raised issues with a former boss about the silly information on frequency allocations that were being made available on .com for the return path. ntl employees were openly giving out the safe combination numbers to would be sabotage/disgruntled employees and customers.

A little knowledge is very dangerous.

Go away and talk to someone who understands to component level, and they will tell you it only takes about 5 capacitors, 4 resistors, 3 coils and 1 transistor, and a PP3 battery to give 1 watt of RF, enough to wipe out an entire node!

If I was such a bitter twisted ex-employee with all the components at hand to make hundreds of these, wouldn't I of been knocking them out by now?

[Richardr]

Moving back to the original point of this discussion, and there is a need to regulate the mast companies. ntl and Crown Castle are the only people who can provide a national service, and for the TV providers that can only be done by the companies jointly, as neither has national coverage.

The question is how to regulate. Up to now there has been a price cap. Ofcom is trying to see if a more intelligent approach can be found.

None of this is new, the price cap has been in place since the two networks were privatised, and the current proposals are effectively mid way through a consultation period.

I'm sure if anyone has a better way, Ofcom would be more than happy to hear.

The process has been going on from before the current ntl attempt to sell the masts business, so will not come as a surprise to the bidders.

[Ignition]

Apologies:

Originally Posted by Escapee

Oh, but people do open the cabinets and put oscillators onto the retrn path network daily!!!! suprise suprise....how else do they set the pad and EQ's at the DA's and Node?

This is done daily? Why the hell would we need to callibrate all the network daily Return path insertions are done but certainly not at 70dBmV and by people who have an idea what they are doing and that they'll get fired if they shove something that powerful down there.

you are certainly showing ignorance by saying the strong signal would break it....duh. but then again it wouldn't take much signal injected at a customers isolator box to take out the directional coupler, that would be no use as it would most likely have affect on the silly customer or neighbouring ports on the tap. If any of the network techs have taken a tap apart they will tell you they are grouped.

You are showing extreme ignorance with the figures you put, +70dBmV is like saying that plugging a 110V device into 220V current will break it, you know as well as I do that in normal function the levels hitting the fibre nodes are nowhere near +70, christ by the time they get to the uBRs which is pretty much all fibre to the headend they are only +0 or +4. The amount of return path nodal drop out faults suggest you are talking crap sir even mentioning this, it's like saying a snow storm kills Sky reception, yes we know but it's so rare it's not worth talking about.

There is a lot of things that the vast majority of ntl employees on this board don't know about their HFC network, there are many who think they do but the people with hands on experience at optical/RF level are very few and far between here. I raised issues with a former boss about the silly information on frequency allocations that were being made available on .com for the return path. ntl employees were openly giving out the safe combination numbers to would be sabotage/disgruntled employees and customers.

Most don't need to know about it. Tech and IP network support don't need to know, is that such a problem?

Frequency allocations? You what? A quick google will show the forward and return path ranges, a look on Robin Walker's site will show the downstream frequencies and some of the common upstream ones.

Go away and talk to someone who understands to component level, and they will tell you it only takes about 5 capacitors, 4 resistors, 3 coils and 1 transistor, and a PP3 battery to give 1 watt of RF, enough to wipe out an entire node!

How often does this happen? So why talk about it? What exactly is your problem if you weren't sacked etc, etc, that you feel the need to undermine the people that are there, and when is it going to enter your head that there are two sides to every story, not just the one you hear, and the franchaise you worked in isn't the only one in the company?

If I was such a bitter twisted ex-employee with all the components at hand to make hundreds of these, wouldn't I of been knocking them out by now?

Dunno? Next on your hitlist maybe? You clearly are pretty bitter and twisted otherwise why go on about it? Why are you posting on this forum, most of the time you're about as helpful as a waxwork in a furnace and about the only thing you do is complain about how evil ntl are, some of it I agree with but you just go on, and on, and on about it. Doesn't it ever get boring? Don't you have better things to do? I'm here to help people, you sir are trolling this forum and nothing else. You rarely bring anything of value to this forum and your main source of assistance to people is telling them how crap ntl are, the local management, how many people have been made redundant, how much the RF engineers hate their job. They have a lousy deal, I know this. I do actually try and help make their lives easier. Your posts just make them look like they are constantly whinging as you seem to feel the need to.

Gonna leave this thread has become another forum for 'Escapee' to vent his frustration and belittle ntl, not that he's a twisted or bitter ex employee