NTL hit by strong competition

Fierce competition in the telephone and broadband markets in the UK left its mark on customer numbers at cable operator NTL today.

The group, which merged with Telewest earlier this year, lost a net 18,900 customers in the quarter compared with a net gain of 25,800 during the first three months of the year. The performance was also in contrast to the 62,500 of net customer additions in the same quarter last year.