NTL to offer mobile phones

NEWS Heavily-indebted cable television firm NTL is set to start offering its customers mobile phone services. From 5 November NTL customers will be able to apply for one of three Orange-branded mobile phones, but Orange will handle registration, service and billing (which is probably a good thing given recent revelations about NTL's customer service. See http://www.silicon.com/a48198 or http://www.silicon.com/a48660 ). Handsets start at £19.99 and the monthly line rental will be £9.99. Calls will be charged at 10p per minute at all times, except for calls to rival networks which will be charged at 40p per minute. The partnership between NTL and Orange reflects a move within the telecoms sector to offer a complete range of services. NTL can now offer customers cable/digital television, fixed line telephone, internet access and a mobile phone. BT recently developed partnerships with BSkyB and ITV digital to enable it to compete with cable TV firms who were eating into its market share in the fixed-line telephone and internet access sector as a result of offering combined telephone and television packages. BT now offers its customers discounted deals on digital television, as well as fixed line telephone and internet access. NTL is currently around £12bn in debt.