Telewest Broadband (formerly Telewest) is one of the two major cable companies in the United Kingdom. Its cable network is the second largest in the UK (after NTL) and covers several areas of the United Kingdom. On this cable network, Telewest provides several residential services including:

• Talk Unlimited, Talk Evenings and Weekends and Talk Weekends telephony services. Existing customers may also take the 321 service until it is discontinued in summer 2005.
• Active Digital, a digital televison service
• blueyonder (formerly Cable Internet), broadband Internet access via cable modems
• An analogue cable TV service

Telewest also provides extensive business telephony and data network services that provide a significant portion of its revenue streams, and carrier services to other telcos.

Telewest has gone through a lot of troubles recently due to its reputation for poor customer service and the huge debts it created when constructing its cable network, acquiring other cable companies and assets. In 2004 Telewest re-structured its balance sheet by swapping its unsecured debt for 98.5% of its shares. Shares were then consolidated and delisted from London. Major Telewest shareholders include Huff and Liberty Media (run by cable tycoon John Malone).

It also owns Eurobell , a cable company in Devon and Cornwall, and Flextech a content provider (TV Channels). There are rumours that Telewest, along with Eurobell and Flextech will be subject to a takeover bid or merger offer from rival firm NTL in the near future.

Telewest passes approximately 4.2 million homes. blueyonder speeds offered are 256 kbit/s, 1 Mbit/s, 2 Mbit/s and 4 Mbit/s with prices ranging from around £18 per month to £50 per month.

External links

• Telewest home page
• blueyonder home page
• Eurobell home page
• Broadband Comparison home page
• Telewest Global Share price