Telewest loses lots but stays cheerful

NEWS Cable company Telewest increased turnover by 24 per cent for the six months ended 30 June 2001. Despite the increase it still posted a loss of £416m for the period on total turnover of £648m. Adam Singer, chief executive of Telewest, said: "This is Telewest's fourth straight quarter in a row of subscriber growth, rising average revenues and falling churn, delivering strong ebitda margins of 22 per cent and growing ebitda." "Our blueyonder high-speed internet service gained 13,000 subscribers in the second quarter and today our subscribers stand at 38,000," he added. Singer also claimed its churn rate, the number of 'unsubscribers', had fallen for the third quarter in a row. However, the company remains saddled with massive debts of £4.8bn. Telewest is to offer Microsoft Outlook services through its broadband service. Customers of its broadband network will be able to use the email platform for £10 per user per month. The ASP services are aimed at small and medium-sized businesses.