NTL reports growth in revenue and customers

NTL IRELAND had good news for its new owners yesterday when it reported strong growth in revenue, subscriber numbers, and broadband customers.

The cable TV operator, sold by its British parent for €325 million in May, generated revenues of €28.8 million in the three months to June, 7% ahead of this period last year.

Its total TV customer base edged up 4% to over 353,000, but there was impressive news on the digital TV front as subscriber numbers jumped 33% to almost 110,000.

Managing director Graham Sutherland said the company now had 14,000 subscribers to its broadband internet access service. This is more than 10% of all homes in which NTL had made broadband available and showed its products were “very competitive”.

All homes served by NTL in Galway and Waterford will be broadband-enabled by the end of next month.

NTL customers can use their cable connection to access the service and are not required to have a landline phone or wireless technology.

He said it was too early to comment on what the takeover, by cable giant UGC, means for NTL staff and customers. The Competition Authority must still clear the deal.