Broadband Providers

ntl:Telewest is now Virgin Media

ntl:Telewest has now become Virgin Media. This article outlines the history of ntl but all broadband packages are now provided by Virgin Media. Virgin Media is a cable company that offers digital TV, home phone, mobile and broadband services. Getting a Virgin Media connection at your home could save you money if you bundle some or all of these services into a single bill.

About ntl:Telewest (now Virgin Media)

ntl:Telewest started life as two separate companies; ntl and Telewest. ntl’s predecessor, International CableTel, was founded in 1993. It changed its name to ntl in 1996 after acquiring National Telecommunications Limited. Telewest began life in 1984 as Croyden Cable and has also been known as Eurobell. By August 2004, ntl had three million customers and was still growing, merging with Telewest in March 2006 and acquiring Virgin Mobile in July 2006. This enabled Virgin Media to become the first UK company to offer TV, internet, home phone and mobile phone services from a single operator.

Virgin Media now has almost 10 million customers in its cable areas; 2.3 million are signed up for broadband, 3.3 million taking digital service and over 4.3 million using their telephony service. They also provide services via ADSL to customers not currently in a cable area.

ntl:Telewest broadband awards

As ntl:Telewest, the company was awarded the following in recognition of its broadband services:

• Readers’ Award Best ISP 2006, Custom PC Magazine
• Best Consumer ISP Finalist, The ISPAs, 2006
• Best Dial-up Finalist, The ISPAs, 2006
• Best Heavy Consumer Broadband Finalist, The ISPAs, 2006
• Best Light Consumer Broadband Finalist, The ISPAs, 2006
• Best Buy for Broadband, Practical Internet Magazine

As Telewest the company won the following awards:

• Winner, Support Team of the Year: Merseyside Contact Centre Awards, 2006
• Winner, Best Sumo Business Broadband, ISPs’ Association Awards, 2006
• Finalist, Best Sumo Consumer Broadband, ISPs’ Association Awards, 2006
• Awarded ‘Best ISP’, .net Awards, 2005
• Winner, Best Customer Support, uSwitch Customer Satisfaction Survey, 2005
• Winner, Best in Sector (Telecoms, Technology and Utilities), Contact Centre Association Excellence Awards, 2005.

Virgin Media (formerly ntl:Telewest) broadband deals

Supplier	Package details	Speed (up to)	1st year cost	Monthly charge	Download limit	Go
	Broadband: L + Phone M	10Mb	£133.50	£4.00	Unlimited	Call Virgin Media on 0808 189 0514
	Broadband: XL + Phone M	30Mb	£181.50	£5.00	Unlimited	Call Virgin Media on 0808 189 0514

Virgin Media (formerly ntl:Telewest) broadband services

Virgin Media prides itself on what it calls a "complete broadband service". This includes:

• Free security: Comprehensive email and PC protection from viruses and spam. PCguard equates to £40 worth of security measures and is easy to use.
• 15 email addresses with 10Mb of storage.
• Various bundle deals that can combine broadband, digital TV, your home phone and mobile into one bill. They also offer free digital TV with some home phone packages.
• 55Mb of webspace to build your own simple personal or business website.

Virgin Media currently offers a range of broadband packages, differentiated by their download speeds. Each comes with a free modem and free customer support seven days a week.

Click here for more information on Virgin Media.

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