Merger Q&A

ntl and Telewest - questions & answers

Q - What has been announced?
A - ntl and Telewest have completed their merger following agreement by shareholders.

Q - What does this mean for business customers?
A - This is good news for business and wholesale customers. It makes sound commercial sense, and gives us far greater scale and network reach. We are now able to offer services to 85% of organisations across the UK. The new company is able to deliver a more compelling national proposition for business, public sector and wholesale customers. Additionally, we can now provide greater focus on delivering the customer service and product innovation that customers demand.

Q - So are ntl and Telewest now one company?
A - ntl:Telewest Business is the new name for the business division of ntl Incorporated. ntl Incorporated is the name of the new combined cable company and is listed on NASDAQ in the USA. Completion marks the start of a wide ranging integration process that will take some time to implement.

Q - How large is the newly merged company?
A - The merged company is now the UK’s second largest fixed line telecommunications operator, capable of delivering voice, data and internet services to homes, businesses and public sector organisations. The company's network today passes over 12 million homes in the UK - over 50% of UK households and reaching 85% of UK businesses.

Q - What is the size and scope of ntl:Telewest Business?
A - By combining two of the largest networks in the UK, ntl:Telewest Business can deliver voice, data and internet solutions nationwide and can connect to 85% of businesses in the UK. ntl:Telewest Business provides communications services to systems integrators, internet service providers and other large telecoms and carrier companies. These services range from co-location and leased lines, to next generation services such as national and Metro Ethernet and backhaul. In addition, ntl:Telewest Business continues to provide network infrastructure and services to the UK's major mobile network operators.

Q - Will my service change?
A - No. Your current services support and billing processes will be unaffected. However, as the integration of the two companies progresses, positive changes will be made. These will be clearly communicated to you, as and when they occur.

Q - How will ntl:Telewest Business ensures customers' service is not disrupted?
A - Our aim is to ensure that the integration of the two businesses will be as smooth as possible, as we recognise that our continued success depends on remaining focused on delivering service excellence. Both ntl and Telewest have significant experience in managing businesses through change. We are confident that customers will only see positive changes as a result of this announcement.

Q - How does this announcement affect customer-facing staff? Will our customer service and account management contacts change?
A - Retaining the continuity through integration is key to ntl:Telewest Business. We will endeavour to ensure that as far as possible, account and service management contacts remain unchanged.

Q - Will you have a single set of products and prices?
A - Ultimately we will have a common set of services and prices for all our customers. However this will take time. We will continue to develop and bring to market a wide range of communications products and services for our business customers, as we have in the past. The increased scale and resource of the new company is good news for product development. It will enable us to accelerate investment in new technologies to fully exploit the scale and reach of our network, enabling us to launch new services across the UK. As soon as we have taken decisions that we can share, we will communicate these clearly to you.

Q - I am an existing customer of ntl:Telewest Business, with a number of sites within both organisations' franchise areas. Can I get services for any or all of my sites from my current provider?
A - For today, the availability of services remains unchanged, so you will need to contact the appropriate Customer Services centre. In the future however, the new company will be able to offer seamless solutions across an integrated network. Until this is a reality, we can still provide services nationally by working with a variety of other carriers.

Q - Who are your key customers?
A - Our key customers include Birmingham City Council, Scottish Executive, Royal London Assurance, West Midlands Police, AOL, Heathrow Terminal 5, Cambridgeshire County Council and Next. We have significant relationships with local authorities and health and education organisations in our franchise areas.

Q - Are there any plans for future network expansion or investment?
A - Unification of the two organisations will enable us to increase our investment in our network infrastructure, allowing us to improve our national reach and capability. We will keep customers informed as and when new products or services become available as a result of this investment.

Q - Who will be the Managing Director of the merged Business divisions?
A - Stephen Beynon has been appointed as Managing Director of ntl:Telewest Business. He was previously the Managing Director of Telewest Business and brings with him a wealth of experience in carrier and business telecommunications.

Q - How do I keep up to date?
A - Both websites will be updated when key developments are announced but if you have any specific questions relating to the availability of services or what the merger announcement means, please contact your existing account manager or Customer Services centre.

Q - What happens now?
A - It’s business as usual and we remain absolutely focused on delivering service excellence.