NTL Ireland
Encyclopedia
NTL Communications Limited was a cable television
and Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service
(MMDS) company in the Republic of Ireland
. As of 2005 it was owned by Liberty Global Europe
(see history, below), having been divested by NTL (now called Virgin Media
). It has been rebranded as UPC Ireland
.
licences for Dublin, Galway
, and Waterford
cities (with the Dublin licence also covering Leixlip
, County Kildare
, Dunboyne
, County Meath
, and Bray
, County Wicklow
). It also holds MMDS franchises for cells covering the above counties, as well as County Mayo
. It provides an analogue cable television service (with a very high take up in its areas passed), which provides the Irish terrestrial channels, plus BBC One
, BBC Two
, UTV
, Channel 4
, Sky1 and a small number of other channels. It also provides a digital television service, with over a third of its customer base taking a digital service. The company has also converted its entire MMDS network to digital, with an offering of approximately seventy TV and radio services. The analogue MMDS is now switched off.
Over the past two years the company has been aggressively rolling out broadband and have enabled one third of its Dublin and 100% of its network in Galway and Waterford for Broadband. The company is rapidly becoming a major Broadband provider in Ireland.
began to allow Irish cable companies to carry non-terrestrial (ie satellite
) services. In the same year, RTÉ merged all of its cable operations (including two other cable companies, Galway Cablevision and Waterford Cablevision) to form Cablelink Limited.
As Cablelink, the company was Ireland's largest cable company by far, and expanded to a fifteen channel service (plus premium channels) gradually. In 1990, Telecom Éireann
acquired 60% of the company from RTÉ. The biggest controversy the company managed to embroil itself during this time was a dispute with British Sky Broadcasting
over carriage fees for Sky One and Sky News. This led to the two channels being pulled from the platform from 1992-1994. The "return of Bart Simpson
" was prematurely announced by Cablelink several times before the channels actually reappeared.
The company also wished to develop broadband services in 1997/1998 but there was an embargo on developing and selling Internet services by the main shareholders, Telecom Éireann
, but the management felt if it were developed and a trial launched then there would be no stopping this. To conceal this from the Board, they hired a small Dublin company The Communications Interactive Agency to manage and run the trial. To this end all purchases of equipment and Internet Services were done in their name. At the time they were one of the first to demonstrate VOIP in Ireland as a commercial service which was done by the then Managing Director Alex Gogan at the Press Launch, by dialling live the Speaking Clock in New York using Net2phone.com service.
At the time they were one of the first companies in Europe to trial and launch Broadband
services. What stopped the trial from becoming a full roll out across their network was the purchase by NTL. It took the company almost four more years to integrate NTL Broadband
service.
, the Government put pressure on the shareholders of Cablelink to sell the company. Part of the reason was that Eircom was regarded by some as a "spoiler shareholder" in Cablelink, refusing to allow the company to compete in the voice telephony market that it dominated. The company was put up for auction, with bidders including Esat Telecom Group
, NTL, and UPC
, as well as CMI Cable and Irish Multichannel
. It was eventually announced that NTL would acquire the company for IR£
535.18m (nearly €680 million).
Under NTL, the company was renamed NTL Ireland on 3 July 2000, and began offering telephony and internet services. The company began to upgrade its network and in 2001 launched its digital television service. However the company lost two managing directors
during the time NTL ran the franchise. The biggest crisis erupted in early 2001, when NTL stopped selling its direct telephony and high-speed internet services, and halted the roll out of its upgraded hybrid fibre coax network. This led to a very public row with the Commission for Communications Regulation
, and the resignation of Ian Jeffers, the NTL executive who had been assigned to the Dublin operation upon the NTL takeover. Some years later, the company was forced to suspend its telephone service after problems with the equipment emerged.
, the Irish assets were now considered non-core. In May 2005, NTL sold its Irish business to Morgan Stanley
(on behalf of Liberty Global Europe
(then called UGC Europe)). MS Irish Cable Holdings, a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley
, held the stake on UGC's behalf, until the deal received regulatory clearance.
However a Competition Authority investigation into the proposed resale of the company to Liberty Global Europe took place. On 4 November 2005 it was announced the Competition Authority had cleared the deal, subject to the appointment of an independent director to the board of UPC Ireland and restrictions on the influence of John C. Malone
on the running of the Irish business.
The deal was approved by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment
, Micheál Martin
on 5 December 2005, and closed on 12 December 2005. For now, Liberty continues to use the "Chorus NTL" brand (under licence) in Ireland. Most aspects of the company have now been merged with Chorus
(billing, website etc.). Branding has also been unified as "Chorus NTL", but a rebrand to UPC Ireland has yet to take place. In an interview with Marketing (Ireland's Marketing and Media Monthly) Ed Sawday, Sky Ireland's head of Marketing, stated "it's interesting what UPC have done with the brand. They've been in a period of hiatus in delivering a recognizable brand to their customers - is it NLT or Chorus? When NTL rebranded in the UK as Virgin Media, it was almost an overnight transition", according to the article Sawday does not believe that UPC wish to be marred by older companies brands.
In early 2006 the two companies were placed under a single management team. On 3 July 2006 it was reported on RTÉ News
that as part of the merger, up to 350 jobs would be lost, including the closure of NTL's call centre
in Waterford
. The two brands remain for the time being however. In December 2006 NTL's customer service department closed, and customer service was transferred to Chorus in Limerick. In January 2007, billing was transferred to a new system. This has proved to be controversial. A €2 charge for customers paying by means other than Direct Debit
was planned, but the Consumer Protection Act, 2007 will outlaw this when its section 48 is brought into effect. Alongside this came a tougher credit control policy. Bills generated using the new system also refer to the digital TV package as "UPC Digital", in reference to the forthcoming rebranding.
In a Sunday Business Post article on 11 February 2007, UPC Ireland's marketing manager revealed that the rebrand was due to take place no later than May 2007. That did not happen, although, from July 2007, a composite "Chorus NTL" logo has been used in all advertising, with the tagline "A UPC Company" below. It is now expected that the full rebrand will take place in early 2008. In later September and early October NTL included a leaflet with its bills stating a new logo would appear on bills from 21 October. Although many took that to read that the relaunch would happen on that day, this did not occur.
On 14 August 2007 NTL launched a personal video recorder, the UPC Mediabox. Chorus will launch the same device in its cable areas in Autumn 2007. This was followed, on 30 October 2007, NTL and Chorus' websites were merged under a single site, though the composite Chorus NTL logo is used on the site rather than the UPC logo.
Most users of the EPG have now been switched fully to the new UPC EPG, taking the NTL EPG off air.
The company was rebranded on 4 May 2010.
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
and Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service
Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service
Broadband Radio Service formerly known as Multichannel Multipoint Distribution Service , also known as Wireless Cable, is a wireless telecommunications technology, used for general-purpose broadband networking or, more commonly, as an alternative method of cable television programming reception...
(MMDS) company in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. As of 2005 it was owned by Liberty Global Europe
Liberty Global Europe
Liberty Global, Inc. is an international media company and one of the largest broadband providers outside the United States of America. It was formed by the merger of the international arm of Liberty Media and UGC .-Europe:...
(see history, below), having been divested by NTL (now called Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
). It has been rebranded as UPC Ireland
UPC Ireland
UPC Ireland is Liberty Global Europe's telecommunications operation in Ireland. UPC Ireland is the largest digital cable television provider within the Republic of Ireland. As of September 2010 the company offers broadband internet, digital television and digital telephony to over 531,000 customers...
.
Services
The company holds cable televisionCable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
licences for Dublin, Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, and Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
cities (with the Dublin licence also covering Leixlip
Leixlip
-Politics:Since 1988 Leixlip has had a nine member Town Council , headed by a Cathaoirleach , which has control over many local matters, although it is limited in that it is not also a planning authority...
, County Kildare
County Kildare
County Kildare is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Kildare. Kildare County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Dunboyne
Dunboyne
Dunboyne is a town in County Meath in Ireland. For the most part, it is a dormitory town for the city of Dublin.-Location:Dunboyne is centred on the crossroads formed by the R156 regional road and the old Maynooth Road ....
, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...
, and Bray
Bray
Bray is a town in north County Wicklow, Ireland. It is a busy urban centre and seaside resort, with a population of 31,901 making it the fourth largest in Ireland as of the 2006 census...
, County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
). It also holds MMDS franchises for cells covering the above counties, as well as County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
. It provides an analogue cable television service (with a very high take up in its areas passed), which provides the Irish terrestrial channels, plus BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
, BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
, UTV
UTV
UTV is a television channel based in the UK region of Northern Ireland. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.- Terrestrial :* Analogue: Normally tuned to 3 * Freeview : 3...
, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, Sky1 and a small number of other channels. It also provides a digital television service, with over a third of its customer base taking a digital service. The company has also converted its entire MMDS network to digital, with an offering of approximately seventy TV and radio services. The analogue MMDS is now switched off.
Over the past two years the company has been aggressively rolling out broadband and have enabled one third of its Dublin and 100% of its network in Galway and Waterford for Broadband. The company is rapidly becoming a major Broadband provider in Ireland.
RTÉ / Telecom Éireann ownership
The company began operations in 1970 as RTÉ Relays, a subsidiary of Radio Telefís Éireann. It carried four channels - RTÉ Television, BBC1 , BBC2, and Ulster Television. In 1984, the company merged with Dublin Cable Systems, itself the product of a merger of Marlin Cable with Phoenix Relays. In 1986, the Irish GovernmentIrish Government
The Government of Ireland is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland.-Members of the Government:Membership of the Government is regulated fundamentally by the Constitution of Ireland. The Government is headed by a prime minister called the Taoiseach...
began to allow Irish cable companies to carry non-terrestrial (ie satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
) services. In the same year, RTÉ merged all of its cable operations (including two other cable companies, Galway Cablevision and Waterford Cablevision) to form Cablelink Limited.
As Cablelink, the company was Ireland's largest cable company by far, and expanded to a fifteen channel service (plus premium channels) gradually. In 1990, Telecom Éireann
Telecom Éireann
Telecom Éireann, or formally Bord Telecom Éireann - The Irish Telecommunications Board, was created by the Postal & Telecommunications Services Act, 1983 from the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, Ireland, under the leadership of the Minister for Posts & Telegraphs...
acquired 60% of the company from RTÉ. The biggest controversy the company managed to embroil itself during this time was a dispute with British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting
British Sky Broadcasting Group plc is a satellite broadcasting, broadband and telephony services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, with operations in the United Kingdom and the Ireland....
over carriage fees for Sky One and Sky News. This led to the two channels being pulled from the platform from 1992-1994. The "return of Bart Simpson
Bart Simpson
Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...
" was prematurely announced by Cablelink several times before the channels actually reappeared.
The company also wished to develop broadband services in 1997/1998 but there was an embargo on developing and selling Internet services by the main shareholders, Telecom Éireann
Telecom Éireann
Telecom Éireann, or formally Bord Telecom Éireann - The Irish Telecommunications Board, was created by the Postal & Telecommunications Services Act, 1983 from the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, Ireland, under the leadership of the Minister for Posts & Telegraphs...
, but the management felt if it were developed and a trial launched then there would be no stopping this. To conceal this from the Board, they hired a small Dublin company The Communications Interactive Agency to manage and run the trial. To this end all purchases of equipment and Internet Services were done in their name. At the time they were one of the first to demonstrate VOIP in Ireland as a commercial service which was done by the then Managing Director Alex Gogan at the Press Launch, by dialling live the Speaking Clock in New York using Net2phone.com service.
At the time they were one of the first companies in Europe to trial and launch Broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
services. What stopped the trial from becoming a full roll out across their network was the purchase by NTL. It took the company almost four more years to integrate NTL Broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
service.
Sale to NTL
In 1999, as part of the privatisation of EircomEircom
Eircom Group LTD is a telecommunications company in the Republic of Ireland, and a former state-owned incumbent. It is currently the largest telecommunications operator in the Republic of Ireland and operates primarily on the island of Ireland, with a point of presence in Great Britain.As Bord...
, the Government put pressure on the shareholders of Cablelink to sell the company. Part of the reason was that Eircom was regarded by some as a "spoiler shareholder" in Cablelink, refusing to allow the company to compete in the voice telephony market that it dominated. The company was put up for auction, with bidders including Esat Telecom Group
BT Ireland
BT Communications Limited is a telecommunications and internet company in Ireland. It is a subsidiary of BT Group plc.-Esat Telecom:The company was founded in 1990 by Denis O'Brien, and was originally known as Esat Telecom...
, NTL, and UPC
Liberty Global Europe
Liberty Global, Inc. is an international media company and one of the largest broadband providers outside the United States of America. It was formed by the merger of the international arm of Liberty Media and UGC .-Europe:...
, as well as CMI Cable and Irish Multichannel
Chorus Communications
Chorus Communications was a communications provider in Ireland, it offered internet, television and telephone services. It was owned by Liberty Global Europe, and ultimately controlled by John C. Malone's Liberty Media. It was based in Limerick, and owns the cable television and MMDS TV licences...
. It was eventually announced that NTL would acquire the company for IR£
Irish pound
The Irish pound was the currency of Ireland until 2002. Its ISO 4217 code was IEP, and the usual notation was the prefix £...
535.18m (nearly €680 million).
Under NTL, the company was renamed NTL Ireland on 3 July 2000, and began offering telephony and internet services. The company began to upgrade its network and in 2001 launched its digital television service. However the company lost two managing directors
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
during the time NTL ran the franchise. The biggest crisis erupted in early 2001, when NTL stopped selling its direct telephony and high-speed internet services, and halted the roll out of its upgraded hybrid fibre coax network. This led to a very public row with the Commission for Communications Regulation
Commission for Communications Regulation
The Commission for Communications Regulation is the general communications regulator for the Republic of Ireland, covering almost all possible types of communications....
, and the resignation of Ian Jeffers, the NTL executive who had been assigned to the Dublin operation upon the NTL takeover. Some years later, the company was forced to suspend its telephone service after problems with the equipment emerged.
Sale to Liberty Global
Despite NTL Ireland turning a profit as a result of its expected merger with TelewestTelewest
Telewest, formerly Telewest Broadband and Telewest Communications was a cable Internet, broadband internet, telephone supplier and cable television provider in the United Kingdom...
, the Irish assets were now considered non-core. In May 2005, NTL sold its Irish business to Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000....
(on behalf of Liberty Global Europe
Liberty Global Europe
Liberty Global, Inc. is an international media company and one of the largest broadband providers outside the United States of America. It was formed by the merger of the international arm of Liberty Media and UGC .-Europe:...
(then called UGC Europe)). MS Irish Cable Holdings, a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000....
, held the stake on UGC's behalf, until the deal received regulatory clearance.
However a Competition Authority investigation into the proposed resale of the company to Liberty Global Europe took place. On 4 November 2005 it was announced the Competition Authority had cleared the deal, subject to the appointment of an independent director to the board of UPC Ireland and restrictions on the influence of John C. Malone
John C. Malone
John C. Malone is an American businessman and philanthropist. He served as chief executive officer of cable and media giant, Tele-Communications Inc. , for twenty-four years from 1973–1996. Malone is now chairman of Liberty Media and CEO of Discovery Holding Company. He was the interim CEO...
on the running of the Irish business.
The deal was approved by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment
Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (Ireland)
The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is the senior minister at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation in the Government of Ireland.The current Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation is Richard Bruton, TD...
, Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin
Micheál Martin is an Irish politician who has been leader of Fianna Fáil since January 2011. He is a Teachta Dála for the Cork South Central constituency...
on 5 December 2005, and closed on 12 December 2005. For now, Liberty continues to use the "Chorus NTL" brand (under licence) in Ireland. Most aspects of the company have now been merged with Chorus
Chorus Communications
Chorus Communications was a communications provider in Ireland, it offered internet, television and telephone services. It was owned by Liberty Global Europe, and ultimately controlled by John C. Malone's Liberty Media. It was based in Limerick, and owns the cable television and MMDS TV licences...
(billing, website etc.). Branding has also been unified as "Chorus NTL", but a rebrand to UPC Ireland has yet to take place. In an interview with Marketing (Ireland's Marketing and Media Monthly) Ed Sawday, Sky Ireland's head of Marketing, stated "it's interesting what UPC have done with the brand. They've been in a period of hiatus in delivering a recognizable brand to their customers - is it NLT or Chorus? When NTL rebranded in the UK as Virgin Media, it was almost an overnight transition", according to the article Sawday does not believe that UPC wish to be marred by older companies brands.
In early 2006 the two companies were placed under a single management team. On 3 July 2006 it was reported on RTÉ News
RTÉ News
RTÉ News and Current Affairs , is a major division of Raidió Teilifís Éireann responsible for news programming on television, radio and online within the Republic of Ireland. It is, by far, the largest and most popular news source in Ireland - with 77% of the Irish public regarding it as their main...
that as part of the merger, up to 350 jobs would be lost, including the closure of NTL's call centre
Call centre
A call centre or call center is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing,...
in Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
. The two brands remain for the time being however. In December 2006 NTL's customer service department closed, and customer service was transferred to Chorus in Limerick. In January 2007, billing was transferred to a new system. This has proved to be controversial. A €2 charge for customers paying by means other than Direct Debit
Direct debit
A direct debit or direct withdrawal is an instruction that a bank account holder gives to his or her bank to collect an amount directly from another account. It is similar to a direct deposit but initiated by the beneficiary...
was planned, but the Consumer Protection Act, 2007 will outlaw this when its section 48 is brought into effect. Alongside this came a tougher credit control policy. Bills generated using the new system also refer to the digital TV package as "UPC Digital", in reference to the forthcoming rebranding.
Rebranding
On 25 January 2007, NTL Ireland updated the electronic programme guide software to remove the NTL logo and all mention of the NTL name. However the UPC name has not replaced it, the areas which contained the NTL logo simply having been left blank. The colour scheme is still NTL's. From 31 January 2007, NTL and Chorus began advertising jointly, although the adverts were simply the ongoing campaign from NTL with the Chorus logo added to them.In a Sunday Business Post article on 11 February 2007, UPC Ireland's marketing manager revealed that the rebrand was due to take place no later than May 2007. That did not happen, although, from July 2007, a composite "Chorus NTL" logo has been used in all advertising, with the tagline "A UPC Company" below. It is now expected that the full rebrand will take place in early 2008. In later September and early October NTL included a leaflet with its bills stating a new logo would appear on bills from 21 October. Although many took that to read that the relaunch would happen on that day, this did not occur.
On 14 August 2007 NTL launched a personal video recorder, the UPC Mediabox. Chorus will launch the same device in its cable areas in Autumn 2007. This was followed, on 30 October 2007, NTL and Chorus' websites were merged under a single site, though the composite Chorus NTL logo is used on the site rather than the UPC logo.
Most users of the EPG have now been switched fully to the new UPC EPG, taking the NTL EPG off air.
The company was rebranded on 4 May 2010.