NTL launches digital television service

NTL today launched a limited digital television service for Dublin customers in certain areas and confirmed homes in Galway and Waterford would be connected in late September.

Mr Brian Moore, managing director of NTL Ireland said the package launched today was "highly competitive" and added the range of channels had been tailored for the Irish market.

The basic service component is a set-top box controlled by one remote control. There is no purchase fee although there is a £25 connection fee.

NTL customers currently pay £9.12 per month for the basic 15 channels such as RTE, BBC, Sky News etc. Today NTL announced a Go Digital pack of 35 further channels for a further £10 per month.

The new channels include CNN News, Discovery Travel, E4, Nick Jr., MTV Base and The Studio film channel.

Subscribers can also choose from a range of premium channels encompassing the sky sports channels for £13.99 or the movie channels for £19.99 per month. Jointly these services can be bought for £25.99.

However, subscribers can cherry-pick stations they want. For example the basic channels with Sky movies but without the Go Digital package would cost £28.31 per month.

Stand-alone special channels are also available such as MUTV (£5), FilmFour (£6) and Playboy TV (£7.99).

Viewers can also order recently released movies on demand for a fee of £3 per film.

To put this in context Sky are offering a digital package for Irish subscribers which involves a £60 connection fee. Viewers will pay £28 per month for the Sky Sports package and £30 per month for the Sky Movies package.

Both can be purchased for a monthly fee of £36. Sky also offer a family package of channels for £16.

Although the Sky package does require a set-top box and a satellite dish the service is available nationwide.

NTL say some 140,000 homes will be digitally enabled by this September and hopes to connect a further 10,000 homes per month. By December 2002, the company expects 290,000 Irish homes to be connected to the digital network. It has set a target of signing 20 per cent of these for the digital service.

Mr Moore said NTL would be conducting a direct marketing campaign within their licenced areas. "Having a sales and support team within Ireland sets NTL apart from its investors", he added.

NTL has also applied to the telecoms regulator Ms Etain Doyle for a price increase in the basic 15-channel package to £12.21. The company today said this was required because of historic costs and investment.

Last month NTL Ireland reported increased revenue in the second quarter of more than £300,000 to £13.1 million, with pre-tax profit for the quarter more than doubling to £1.7 million. Pre-tax profit for the first quarter was £740,000.

In March NTL delayed the rollout of a range of promised interactive services, including services such as home banking and shopping through digital television.

The company has now set a target of 2002 for its interactive launch and will follow-through on its development on a demand-led basis.

NTL’s set-top box incorporates interactive capabilities which means customers will not have to upgrade their technology to use such services.

Among the Dublin areas to be connected immediately are Leixlip, Ballyfermot, Clondalkin, Lucan, Baldoyle, Finglas, Tallaght, Clonsilla, Santry and the city centre.

All areas will be connected to the NTL digital network by March 2004.