The-rise-of-Fiber-optic-Broadband

1
The Future of the Telecom
Fiber-optic Industry
The rise of Telewest-NTl to prominence
October 2007
Hector Chapa Sikazwe
Keywords
Competition, Fiber-optic, Broadband, ADSL, merger, Phone industry marketing strategy
competitive advantage creative marketing.

2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction................................................................................... 4
1.1 Legislation restrictions................................................................................................................ 5
1.2 Telewest products ....................................................................................................................... 7
Three tier services (Telewest.co.uk) ..................................................... 7
1.3 Competitors................................................................................................................................. 8
1.4 Lay out of Report........................................................................................................................ 8
2.0 The organisation............................................................................ 9
2.1 The Strategic business strategy ................................................................................................... 9
2.2 Telewest Core Competence Factors .......................................................................................... 10
2.2.1 Fiber Optic Network.......................................................................................................... 10
2.2.2 Self sufficient Network facilities....................................................................................... 11
2.2.3 Service via Cables............................................................................................................. 11
3.0 Company analysis ....................................................................... 12
3.1 Porters forces ............................................................................................................................ 12
3.1.1 Competitive Rivalry.......................................................................................................... 12
3.1.2 Power of supplier .............................................................................................................. 13
3.1.3 Power of buyer.................................................................................................................. 14
3.1.4 Threats of substitute .......................................................................................................... 14
3.1.5 Threat of new entrants....................................................................................................... 15
3.2 Swot analysis of the Company ................................................... 16
3.2.1 Strengths ............................................................................................................................... 16
3.2.2 Weaknesses........................................................................................................................... 16

3
3.2.3 Opportunities......................................................................................................................... 17
3.2.4 Threats .................................................................................................................................. 17
3.2.4.1 Market risk........................................................................................................................ 17
4.0 Where the Business is now ......................................................... 19
4.1 Market Penetration.................................................................................................................... 20
4.2 Market Development................................................................................................................. 20
4.3 Product Development................................................................................................................ 21
4.4 Diversification........................................................................................................................... 22
6.0 Recommendations....................................................................... 23
6.1 E-commerce.............................................................................................................................. 23
6.2 Knowledge management........................................................................................................... 24
6.3 Product and service Innovation ................................................................................................. 25
6.4 The value of next generation networks...................................................................................... 25
6.5 Training..................................................................................................................................... 26
7.0 References.................................................................................... 27
All copyrights reserved.............................Error! Bookmark not defined.

4
1.0 Introduction
Ntl:Telewest was created in March 2006 after a merger of Telewest Global Inc and Ntl
incorporated creating ntl:Telewest Business. This report is an in-depth analysis of Telewest
communication business strategy before the merger that formed the new corporation. Telewest,
(formerly Telewest Broadband and Telewest Communications) is a trading name of NTL
Incorporated, the dominant cable operator in the United Kingdom with more than 90% of the
market. The merger of Telewest and NTL's UK businesses was completed on March 3, 2006.
NTL trading as Telewest passes approximately 4.2 million homes. Corporately, now Ntl:
Telewest boasts of a success that is based on a £13 billion investment in a state-of-the-art, fibre-
rich network provision of services.
As documented in Broadcasting Committee (Nov 1998), the first official announcement about
the creation of a new cable industry in the UK was made in a House of Commons debate on 2
December 1982, when the Government brought forward legislation to create a new statutory
authority to award franchises to cable operators. The following year, 1983, the Government
published a White Paper, “The Development of Cable Systems and Services” (the "White
Paper"), which set out its policy proposals in more detail.
In 1984, the Telewest story began in Croydon operating under the name of Croydon Cable.
Murray (2000) observed that Telewest as a company has grown through marathon mergers and
acquisitions, Telewest Broadband replaced regional company names such as Yorkshire Cable,
Cable London and Birmingham Cable, which remained from a history of consolidation. See
appendix A.

5
1.1 Legislation restrictions
There were strict restrictions that accompanied the statutory instrument. The Telewest media
centre1
Commenting on the growth of Telewest at the 2005 annual reporting party, Philip Jansen,
managing director, consumer division stated that "As we move into the new era of broadband
and put the legacy of consolidation behind us we decided to bring all our operations under one
reports that uunder the terms of the White Paper, cable operators were prohibited from
providing voice telephony services in their own right over their networks, as the provision of
these services remained the exclusive privilege of British Telecom and Mercury
Communications. More significant restrictions were also imposed on the provision of data
services. The White Paper also specified that cable operators were prohibited in their own right
from linking individual franchise areas,
and also ruled out the possibility of any company outside
the EU owning a UK cable franchise.
In 1990, the broadcasting ACT introduced the advent of competitive provision of services. The
Broadcasting Act 1990 established a new regulatory authority, the Independent Television
Commission (ITC) for the television sector and also created a new framework for the licensing
of cable services.
In 1991, the period of protected duopoly which had been granted to BT and Mercury
Communications expired. This stimulated a period of several years of inward investment into the
UK cable industry from US telephony companies. Telewest communication took advantage of
the relaxing of the law and reinvented itself in the UK as a leading cable company
1
http://mediacentre.telewest.co.uk/phoenix.zhtml?c=76808&p=IROL-MediaHome

6
unifying name. This undertaking reinforces our commitment to building lasting and meaningful
customer relationships."
Below is the TIMELINE of the organization reflecting performance since its inception in
Croydon. The graph needs to be interpreted in conjunction with appendix A.
Time line of growth

7
1.2 Telewest products
The organization provides the following products and services:
(a) Broadband Internet services: This is a national product portfolio of voice, data, internet
and IP solutions for all UK businesses from developing businesses right up to large
corporates, public sector organizations and service providers
(b) A network built to the office, enabling the delivery of high bandwidth IP and voice
services to UK businesses
(c) Residential Cable TV: The majority of Telewest's television is digital. However, there are
still areas that receive an analogue
(d) Residential and business telephone services: Telewest was the first UK landline company
to offer 'unlimited' calls to landlines for a fixed monthly fee.
Telewest is the only unique organization in the UK that provides a three tier residential services
of Telephone, internet and television to residential consumers. (see picture below) This
automatically gives the organization undue competitive advantage.
Three tier services (Telewest.co.uk)

8
1.3 Competitors
The main competitors in the Industry are British telecommunication (BT) and Sky British
broadcasting company. These two main competitors are closely followed by several small
organisations who supply similar services to households on the back of networks already setup
by the main competitors.
1.4 Lay out of Report
As mentioned, this report dwells on the ex Telewest communication component of the new
organization because the “Ntl:Telewest” emerging strategic structure of the new organization is
still fluidic and unstructured to be used for purposes and objectives of this report.
The report is divided into 4 parts.
(a) The organization and its products
(b) The organization’s operational competitive advantages and value creating activities,
strategic position and its business model
(c) The factors behind the organization’s success in the industry
(d) The organization’s current strategy to remain a player in the telecommunication market
Each part listed above will be treated as a separate section in the report and will embody
complete information that can be utilized to support the section in question. The concluding
section will consist of a summary of the report and recommendations.

9
2.0 The organisation
According to Murray (2000), supported by information on the official Telewest website,2
2.1 The Strategic business strategy
Telewest Communications is one of Britain’s most diversified communications companies, with
activities spanning two of the fastest growing sectors in the UK economy: telecommunications
and media. The organization provides multiple broadband services including cable television,
telephone and Internet access services to more than 1.7 million homes and delivers business
communications solutions to over 70,000 public and private sector accounts.
According to the Telewest (2002) annual report, different strategic decisions by Telewest were
made to remain competitive in the business environment this was not far from the ability to cope
with the changes in the market place. Over the years, the business competitive strength of
Telewest was based on but not limited to.
(a) Investment in technology that built service strength
(b) Optimisation of logistics and supply chain system:
(c) Development of strategic relationships with major players in the market
(d) Mergers and acquisition: (see appendix A)
(e) Human capital development: the improvement of employee and continuous upgrade of
there capacity.
2
www.telewest.co.uk

10
As already observed, Telewest business model centres on the provision of “three tier services” of
business and residential telecom (telephone and internet services) and interactive TV services to
the UK business and residential consumers. As reported in Great Britain (1998) and Media &
Sport Committee Culture (1999) the organization was formed with the initial objective of
providing basic “cable services consisting of analogue and digital facilities” to businesses and
residential consumers. Detailed in Bradley and Austin (2005), Telewest communications pl
which is now the chosen provider of multiple broadband services to homes and businesses in the
UK, was the first to launch unmetered internet access in the UK.
2.2 Telewest Core Competence Factors
The major impact that Telewest has had on the business stems from the company offering a one
stop shop for broadband services with unbeatable value. Telewest has further strengthened
broadband leadership by positioning brand values across the business, from providing excellent
customer service to delivering exciting content via blueyonder high-speed internet."
2.2.1 Fiber Optic Network
Uniquely, according to Telewest (2000) Customers receive services over a highly advanced
broadband communication network built entirely from scratch over the past decade. It combines
high-bandwidth fibre optic technology with modern digital transmission and switching
techniques. Agrawal (2002) explained that Fiber-optic communication is a method of
transmitting information from one place to another by sending light through an optical fiber. The
light forms an electromagnetic carrier wave that is modulated to carry information. Because of
its advantages over electrical transmission, the use of optical fiber has largely overtaken copper
wire communications.

11
Telewest’s Competitors still use old network infrastructure using Asymmetric Digital Subscriber
Line (ADSL), a data communications technology that enables faster data transmission over
copper telephone lines than a conventional modem can provide. ADSL can only be used over
short distances; typically less than 5km. Fiber optic cables that Telewest uses has no distance
restrictions. This has created competitive advantage over BT and SKY.
2.2.2 Self sufficient Network facilities
Telewest is self sufficient in network facilities and does not rely on external organization for its
supply of services. Bradley and Austin (2005) described Telewest broadband expansion and
success as being based on Telewest’s regional networks that is connected by a state-of-the-art
digital backbone network that was completed in 1998. This national network enabled Telewest
to expand its range of voice and data communications services for the business market. At the
same time, Bradley and Austin (2005) observes, Telewest reduced its dependence on other
operators for carrying calls between its regions and paved the way for Telewest to develop its
own ‘wholesale’ business, providing capacity for other smaller telecommunications operators.
2.2.3 Service via Cables
Telewest provides services using cables buried in the ground, reducing vandalism and increment
weather has little of no effects on the performance of service provision. This has given Telewest
reduced outage and disruption of services. This is key to this industry that relies on the
satisfaction of the end user for its existence and continued sustenance of business partnering with
the buyer.

12
3.0 Company analysis
3.1 Porters forces
Porters fives forces model is an excellent model to use to analyze a particular environment of an
industry. The is essential to help understand the industry in depth before an organization decides
to enter. Its dictates allows Telewest to be evaluated in the light of the following factors that can
be represented graphically:
Porters five forces
3.1.1 Competitive Rivalry
The telecom industry provides opportunity for customers to move from one supplier to another.
If it is easy for customers to move to substitute products for example from BT to Tiscali etc.
Generally competitive rivalry is high in the industry due to:
(i) little differentiation between the products sold between customers.

13
(ii) Competitors are approximately the same size of each other.
(iii)Competitors all have similar strategies.
(iv)It is costly to leave the industry
Telewest has direct competition from many organizations. Specifically, BT and Sky broadcasting
are the major competitors that Telewest has to compete with. BT directly swoops on all
telephone customers that defect from Telewest. There are several smaller competitors like
Tiscali, Talk Talk, Onetel etc who operate in the periphery and receive many customers who are
let down by either Telewest or BT. Sky is directly the main rival for the television service and
recently has become a broadband provider as well.
3.1.2 Power of supplier
Suppliers are essential for the success of an organization. Raw materials are needed to complete
the finish product of the organization. Suppliers do have power and it is significant:
(i) If they are the only supplier or one of few suppliers who supply that particular raw
material.
(ii) If it costly for the organization to move from one supplier to another (known also as
switching cost
(iii)If there is no other substitute for their product.
Telewest has direct control of most of its raw materials like the TV content through Flextech.
The organization controls what is on offer on the TV content provided by Telewest. Telewest
similarly has control on what it offers using the fibre optic services as it has absolute ownership
of the service

14
3.1.3 Power of buyer
Buyers or customers can exert influence and control over an industry in certain circumstances.
This happens when:
i. There is little differentiation over the product and substitutes can be found easily.
ii. Customers are sensitive to price.
iii. Switching to another product is not costly.
Buyers have power to determine what quality/type/price of services supplied. Service industry
organizations that are embodied in competitive market scenarios are subject to fluctuating
numbers of subscribers. Buyers tend to move with product pricing and only organizations that
respond swiftly maintain a sizeable subscribership. Telewest regularly responds to the demands
of the consumer by innovating and providing value for money services. Strategic regular
repricing to respond to the market forces has been Telewest’s strategy that has seen it’s
subscribership being maintained.
3.1.4 Threats of substitute
Telewest is under constant threat from cheaper substitutes coming from smaller organizations.
The reason is that there are alternative products that customers can purchase other than the
Telewest product at cheaper prices. The threat of substitute is higher due to the:
(i) Price of that substitute product falling.
(ii) easy of consumers to switch from one substitute product to another.
(iii)Buyers willing to substitute.

15
Due to this threat of substitutes, Telewest has kept innovating and rebranding its products so that
the customer base is not adversely affected by the switching of subscribers due to cheaper
substitutes.
3.1.5 Threat of new entrants.
The telecom industry has one of the lowest entry barriers. This creates a problem for the larger
organizations that invest massively in the industry. The threat of a new organization entering the
industry is high when it is easy for an organization to enter the industry. Smaller organization
(i) will look at how loyal customers are to existing products,
(ii) how quickly they can achieve economy of scales,
(iii)access to suppliers,
(iv)Government legislation prevents them or encourages them to enter the industry.
The above five main factors are key factors that influence industry performance; hence it is
common sense and practical to find out about these factors before entry into the industry. This is
one area that Telewest has very little control over as the industry is a developing one and
innovation and customer loyalty that Telewest has created over the years assists in maintaining a
loyal customer following.

16
3.2 Swot analysis of the Company
3.2.1 Strengths
The uniqueness of Telewest strength lies in the
(a) Combination of its manageable size,
(b) Ownership of content assets in TV programming using Flextech
(c) Ownership of its own network structure
(d) Ownership of fibre optic technology, thus providing faster internet speeds compared to
BT and other competitors.
(e) The trend of digitalization of TV content further strengthens its position in the Cable
segment
(f) Customer care unit that subsist on customer care satisfaction and employs and trains
carefully selected individuals to become members of staff
3.2.2 Weaknesses
However, the company faces twin challenges of
(a) Servicing its debt burden and
(b) plugging the leakage in its telephone subscriber base, which declined in absolute terms,
in the past two years
(c) Getting external funding to maintain its infrastructure remains the most serious weakness
the organization faces
(d) Fear of the television products going full product life cycle and subscribers wanting
better content of what is on the television service or defect to competitors.

17
3.2.3 Opportunities
Telewest believe that the commercial benefits of the merger with NTL will include the
following:
(a) accelerated development of new tailored service offerings to residential and business
customers in form of digitalized content
(b) increased momentum for online and interactive development initiatives
(c) cross-promotion opportunities across services and platforms
(d) increased bundling opportunities to maximize broadband network distribution
(e) opportunity to leverage broadcasting skills and a wider range of content relationships
(f) enhanced growth prospects for advertising and e-commerce revenues
(g) investment into the organization from organizations that see the future of ntl:Telewest to
be of strategic importance to the
(h) Due to current size and organization strategic makeup, Telewest can now effectively
compete with established competitors like BT and Sky
3.2.4 Threats
3.2.4.1 Market risk
Telewest as an organization that identifiably has two areas that are regarded as potential threats
to its strategic operations. The principal market risks stem from problems with servicing debts
that accumulated in the earlier days of being launched.
(a) Interest rate changes on variable-rate long-term bank debt;

18
(b) Foreign exchange rate changes, generating translation and transaction gains and losses on
non-sterling denominated debt instruments.
Telewest uses derivative financial instruments solely to reduce exposure to these market risks
and does not enter into these instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
3.2.4.2 Interest rate risk
Telewest’s outstanding long-term debt is denominated in pounds sterling and bears interest at
variable rates. The organization seeks to reduce exposure to adverse interest rate fluctuations on
borrowings under current senior bank facilities principally through interest rate swaps. These
interest rate swaps provide for payments by Telewest at a fixed rate of interest (ranging from
7.175% to 7.910%) and the receipt of payments based on a variable rate of interest.. The
aggregate notional principal amount of these hedging arrangements is in the excesses of £1.2
billion..
3.2.5 Foreign currency exchange risk
As at 31 December 2000, Telewest fixed-rate debt instruments were denominated in US dollars.
The organization entered into certain derivative instruments to reduce exposure to adverse
changes in exchange rates. These derivative instruments comprised of
(a) foreign currency options,
(b) foreign currency swaps and a
(c) Series of foreign exchange forward contracts.
The results were materially influenced by future exchange rate movements, due to the
requirement that certain hedging instruments be marked to their market value at the end of the

19
financial period whereas the underlying liabilities may be re-translated at the spot rate of
exchange. Telewest had foreign currency swaps and contracts hedging the principal and interest
exposures of the Group totaling in aggregate £2,732 million.
4.0 Where the Business is now
Ansoff (1979) stated that organizations needed to apply strategic measurements to their
organizations to monitor growth and create a vision for the future. He proposed a matrix, (see
below) which encapsulates the future vision of a company. It maps the status of each niche
against status both of Product and of Market.
Source: Ansoff (1979)

20
The official Telewest website3
4.1 Market Penetration
reports that Telewest organization prides to exercise profitable
competitive advantage over it’s competitors, using a strategic operational motto that subsist on
(a) designing and launching its products and services at cost effective levels and on a
(b) Researched and clearly determined market demand.
Bradley and Austin (2005) expanded in their book that Telewest believes in market research and
delights in getting this information out to the right people at the right time.
Using its research competitive advantage factor of researching before launching new products,
Telewest has markets her existing products to her existing customers with vigor. Telewest (2002)
reported that over the years, Telewest has increased exponentially the revenue generated from
existing products.
The Massive marketing ploys that were employed in repositioning cable television services to
exiting customers resulted in the growth of the number of subscribers. According to Telewest
(2004) this resulted in an increase in the number of channels subscribed to and the variety of
phone features sought increased inexplicably. McKenna and Moore (1998) had predicted that
such an act of marketing would result in revenue growth for any organization
4.2 Market Development
According to Murray (2000), Telewest realized the rise in popularity of the “cable based”
services to be of significant market implications. From the various mergers around the Country
3
www.telewest.co.uk

21
(Appendix A), Telewest has been positioned strategically to market its products in new areas
resulting in the introduction of the “cable products” in new areas of the country.
For instance in 2000, after receiving professional advice from Schroder Salomon, Smith Barney
and Deutsche Telekom working for Lehman Brothers, Telewest acquired Eurobell, a cable
telecommunications service provider that supplied telephone, internet, data and cable television
services to residential and business customers in the south of England. Eurobell held franchises
in Crawley, west Kent and south Devon together with local access and a backbone network
across the south east linking international landing points in Cornwall to London.
4.3 Product Development
Product innovation is a key Telewest marketing strategy. According to Telewest (2005),
Telewest has strategically launched several strategic new products for its digital customers. The
following are the products that are being used by the organization to compete:
(a) Teleport is a new service, coupled with “video on demand” available to all Telewest Digital
TV customers. This service does not require any extra equipment and allows customers to
have access to the service and it is included with all Telewest digital packages.
(b) TVDrive, the equivalent of “Sky Plus” service that is offered by Sky digital. TVDrive is a
smart personal video recorder, designed to make TV fit around Telewest customer’s lives.
(c) Telewest has also introduced “talk anywhere”, a revolutionary way of using the telephone
service in the UK. Talk Anywhere phone services are the easiest and most revolutionary way
to use and pay for the home phone. This service allows customers to call anyone, anywhere,
any time, any phone for a fixed monthly fee just like mobile companies.

22
4.4 Diversification
Telewest keeps rebranding its products and more services are being introduced as the
organization has expanded. Telewest has applied “related diversification” by incorporation virgin
mobile into its acquisition operations. The acquisition of virgin mobile by ntl: Telewest indicates
the organization’s desire to expand. Virgin Mobile offers a broad range of mobile
communications products and services, including mobile voice and non-voice services, including
SMS, MMS and 3G, and entertainment services over the Virgin Mobile Bites portal including
games, information and music services, and international roaming.
5.0 Conclusions
Telewest is a trading name of NTL Incorporated, the dominant cable operator in the United
Kingdom with more than 90% of the market. This report has shown that Telewest is one of the
largest broadband communications and media groups in the United Kingdom, providing
multichannel television, telephone, and Internet services to 1.8 million residential customers in
England and Scotland.
While Telewest Business supplies broadband services to consumer, business, and public-sector
markets, its content division, Flextech, is the BBC’s partner in UKTV. Together they are the
largest supplier of basic channels to the UK pay-TV market with a portfolio that combines
wholly owned and managed channels, including ten joint venture channels with the BBC.
One of Telewest’s growth strategic goals was to launch Teleport, a TV-on-demand (TVoD)
service for customers by 2006, and the TVDrive which would also include on-demand

23
programming from the BBC and other television content providers. Telewest undertook a
reevaluation of its network in light of delivering future capabilities by building it’s own network
facilities. The uniqueness of Telewest lies in the combination of its size and the ownership of
content assets in TV programming. The trend of digitalization of TV content will further
strengthen its position in the Cable segment.
6.0 Recommendations
6.1 E-commerce
Today’s communications networks have moved business further into the electronic world where
speedy reactions and access to accurate and timely information are essential.
Ecommerce should be the future for Telewest. The following are the reasons why Telewest can
gain competitive advantage over other competitors. E-commerce
(a) liberates companies;
(b) makes their size irrelevant;
(c) Opened up new markets and new ways of working.
(d) It has also made it easier, more efficient and less costly to do business and compete.
However, customers will have higher expectations and be less tolerant of delays and more
willing to switch suppliers. Success depends on Telewest being able to meet those expectations
efficiently, a need, which service Telewest understand and support.
Telewest already has the state of the art information’s systems installed in the organization. The
current new converged networks and technologies that already exist in Telewest will be behind
the ability to

24
(a) move between and combine applications,
(b) make information accessible to anyone in the organization regardless of location and
(c) Integrate data from different systems.
Convergence has increased flexibility and contributed to overall efficiency but it has also made it
faster and easier to create the innovative products and services which differentiate Telewest from
other companies like BT and Sky.
6.2 Knowledge management
To maintain this competitive advantage Telewest is obligated to invest heavily in the state of the
art virtual computer information systems. Telewest current use of knowledge management
creates competitive advantage. When applied efficiently, knowledge management incorporates:
(a) The use of up to date software programs that allows both the employees and the client to
quickly access information on products and services creates customer satisfaction.
This is a vital competitive strategy contributing to business efficiency and high levels
of customer service that lacks in this industry
(b) Information about customers and products are stored in one place so all applications
access the same database. Telewest easily segment customers and offer different
service levels according to their value.
(c) Advantageously, Telewest easily conducts market research, design and launches
products and targeted campaigns to produce maximum effect since calculations are
based on accurate information stored on the data base

25
6.3 Product and service Innovation
As stated in Telewest (2002) annual report, the chairman predicted that by the turn of the decade
strong strategic Companies will separate themselves from other competitors largely by
(a) creating innovative products and services,
(b) being price competitive and reacting fast to market demand.
(c) Equally important to give customers the products and information they need when and
how they need them.
Telewest should continue on the path they already are treading on ie product and service
innovation. Competitors are struggling along with outdated, expensive to run and want to
maintain legacy systems which make it difficult to compete effectively. Some have neither the
time nor expertise to thoroughly research or cost, upgrade or install the modern and efficient
communications solutions which are important tools in differentiating one company from
another. This remains Telewest strong marketing competitive advantage.
6.4 The value of next generation networks
Within Telewest, unlike legacy systems, the new installed networks are flexible. Telewest need
to build on its High speed fixed and wireless networks; converged services; secure, flexible and
cost effective systems that support the advantages of the new ways of working because they
create
(a) seamless connections between applications so people can collaborate efficiently
regardless of their location all of which contribute to more efficient working practices
and therefore competitive edge

26
(b) Supporting business agility, the networks make it easier for Telewest to adapt quickly to
changing markets and customer demands.
(c) Less expensive to manage and maintain as they are designed to grow with the business,
can be future-proofed and, because they support the business needs better, make the
return on investment faster.
6.5 Training
Telewest already invests extensively in the training of its members of staff. By relying on the
expertise of professionals, even the smallest companies can reap the benefits of the latest
technologies, together with all their updates, without having to employ teams of expert IT staff.
Telewest should continue using the existing system of in-house training.

27
7.0 References
Annabelle Dodd (Jul 2005)The Essential Guide to Telecommunications (Paperback) ISBN:
0131487256Prentice Hall PTR
Broadcasting Committee (Nov 1998) The Development of Parliamentary Broadcasting: Minutes
of Evidence, Wednesday 15 July 1998 - Telewest, General Cable and Wireless; National
Telecommunications Ltd; Flextech; BBC (House of Commons Papers) ISBN: 010555068X The
Stationery Office Books, UK
Carl Stern and George Stalk (1998) Perspectives on Strategy: From the Boston Consulting
Group (Hardcover) "what is strategy? ..." (more) John Wiley & Sons Inc
Clayton M. Christensen (1 Jul 1997)The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause
Great Firms to Fail (Hardcover) ISBN: 0875845851 Harvard Business School Press
Great Britain (1998) The Public Telecommunication System Designation (Telewest
Communications Fylde and Wyre Limited) Order 1997: Telecommunications (Statutory
Instruments: 1997: 315) (Paperback) ISBN: 0110639162 Stationery Office Books, UK
Great Britain (April 1997) The Public Telecommunication System Designation (Telewest
Telecommunications PLC) (No. 2 ) Order 1997: Telecommunications (Statutory Instruments:
1997: 923) (Paperback) Stationery Office Books, UK
Icon Group Ltd. (April 2000) Telewest communications plc: International Competitive
Benchmarks and Financial Gap Analysis (Financial Performance Series) (Unbound) ISBN:
059718769X Icon Group International Inc, UK
Lillian Goleniewski (8 Jan 2002) Telecommunications Essentials: The Complete Global Source
for Communications Fundamentals, Data Networking and the Internet, and Next-generation
(Paperback) Addison Wesley
Media & Sport Committee Culture (Dec 1999) Funding of the BBC: Minutes of Evidence,
Tuesday 2 December 1999 - BECTU; Ntl; Telewest; National Consumer Council (House of
Commons) ISBN: 0102027005 The Stationery Office Books, UK
Michael A. Cusumano (May 2004) The Business of Software: What Every Manager,
programmer and Entrepreneur Must Know to Succeed in Good Times and Bad (Hardcover)
ISBN: 074321580X Simon & Schuster Ltd
Murray john (2000) “Telewest extends cable network with Eurobell acquisition”

28
http://www.telewest.co.UK/ourcompany/pressreleases/pr281.html accessed 23/11/2006
Regis McKenna and Geoffrey A. Moore (1 Aug 1998) Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and
Selling Technology Products to Mainstream Customers (Paperback) Capstone Publishing Ltd,
UK
Stephen P. Bradley and Robert D. Austin (Eds) (1 Sep 2005) Broadband Explosion: Leading
Thinkers on the Promise of a Truly Interactive World (Hardcover) ISBN: 1591396700 Harvard
Business School Press, NY, London.
Telewest annual repots( 2000, 2002, 2004, 2005)
http://mediacentre.telewest.co.uk/phoenix.zhtml?c=76808&p=IROL-reportsAnnualArch
William H. Davidow (Jun 1986) Marketing High Technology (Hardcover) ISBN: 002907990X
Macmillan USA

29
Appendix A- TIME LINE
Year Event
1984 The Telewest story begins in Croydon operating under the name of Croydon Cable.
1988 Croydon Cable is acquired by United Cable of Denver, US. Franchises in Edinburgh,
Avon and south east are added.
1989 United Cable of Denver merges with United Artists Cable International.
1991 United Artists merges with their largest shareholder TCI (now Liberty Media), to create
the largest cable operator in the US. A joint venture between TCI and US West is
announced.
1992 The joint venture company is renamed Telewest Communications.
1994 Telewest successfully completes a stock market flotation.
1995 Telewest merges with SBC Communications, adding franchises in the midlands and north
west totaling 1.3 million homes.
1998 Telewest announces a merger with General Cable, and acquires an outstanding interest in
Birmingham Cable, adding a further 1.7 million franchise homes in Yorkshire, west
London and Birmingham.
1999 Telewest purchases the remaining 50% stake in Cable London from ntl, adding 0.4
million franchise homes in north London.
2000 In April, Telewest merges with Flextech. In November, Telewest extends its cable
network with the acquisition of Eurobell taking the total number of homes passed to 4.9
million.
2002 Telewest Communications plc enters discussions on financial restructuring with its
stakeholders.
2004 In July, Telewest emerges from its financial restructuring as Telewest Global Inc. Shares
begin trading on NASDAQ National Market.
2005 In October, Telewest announces a merger with ntl, which will create the UK's second
largest communications company and leading triple-play service provider. Telewest
Business delivers a comprehensive range of solutions, across the UK, including
broadband and internet services, networking solutions, voice and IP and multimedia
services
2006 The ntl and Telewest merger was completed in March, creating ntl:Telewest Business

30
Appendix B: BROADBAND AWARDS
Awards won by blueyonder broadband
Award Award Title Award Service Date
Finalist
Best Sumo Consumer
broadband finalist
Internet
Service
Providers'
Association
Awards 2006
broadband 2006
Finalist
Best portal finalist Internet
Service
Providers'
Association
Awards 2006
broadband 2006
Best ISP .net Awards broadband 2005
Best ISP/Broadband
company
Computer
Active
Readers
Choice
awards
broadband Dec
2005
Awarded "Highest in Customer
Satisfaction Among
Broadband Internet
Service Providers."
J.D. Power
and
Associates
broadband Dec
2005
Best Sumo Consumer
Broadband
Internet
Service
Provider
Awards
broadband
elite 2 Mb
2005
Best Heavy Consumer
Broadband
Internet
Service
Provider
Awards
broadband
complete
2005
Best Portal Internet
Service
Provider
Awards
broadband 2005

31
Best unmetered
dial-up ISP
Internet
Service
Provider
Awards
Surf
Unlimited
2004
Best Consumer
Broadband ISP
Internet
Service
Provider
Awards
broadband 2004
Best ADSL
Alternative
Practical
Internet
Reader
Awards
broadband 2003
Best broadband ISP
&
Best dial-up ISP
PC Pro
Awards
broadband 2003
Communications
Product of Year
(2mb)
Computing
Excellence
Awards
broadband
elite 2Mb
2003
ISP of the year Award ISP Review broadband 2002
Telecommunications
Product of the year
(1Mb)
Computing
Industry
Awards
broadband
complete
2002
Most satisfying ISP in
Britain
Web-User
magazine
broadband 2002
Best broadband ISP PC Pro
Awards
broadband 2002
Best unmetered ISP Internet
Service
Provider
Association
broadband 2002
Copyrighted

The-rise-of-Fiber-optic-Broadband

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

What's hot

What's hot (20)

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (13)

Similar to The-rise-of-Fiber-optic-Broadband

Similar to The-rise-of-Fiber-optic-Broadband (20)

The-rise-of-Fiber-optic-Broadband