Telewest
 |
|
| Public | |
| Industry | Communications |
| Fate | Merged with NTL |
| Successor | Virgin Media |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Defunct | 8 February 2007 |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products |
Cable television Broadband Telephone Mobile phone |
| Website | (Via Wayback Machine) http://www.telewest.co.uk |
Telewest, formerly Telewest Broadband and Telewest Communications, was a cable Internet, broadband internet, telephone supplier and cable television provider in the United Kingdom. It was listed on the and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
In March 2006, Telewest merged with fellow cable telecom company NTL, and created 'NTL:Telewest', which then also merged with Virgin Mobile and Virgin.net in June 2006, creating the United Kingdom's first "quadruple play" telecom provider, offering television, internet, landline phone and mobile phone services. In February 2007, NTL:Telewest was rebranded as Virgin Media.
Telewest originated in Croydon in 1984 under the name "Croydon Cable". In 1988 United Cable of Denver, US, acquired Croydon Cable. Franchises extended the company scope in Edinburgh and the south-west and south-east of England. In 1989 United Cable merged with United Artists Cable International.
In May 1991, United Artists announced a merged deal with their largest shareholder TCI (now[update]Liberty Media), to form the largest cable operator in the US, deal was valued at $142.5m, by June the deal was improved. A week later, on 8 June the deal was finalized with ITC acquiring the remaining 46% of United Artists, to allow full control.
TCI and US West announced a joint venture, and in 1992 the joint venture company became Telewest Communications. In 1995 Telewest merged with SBC Communications, adding franchises in the Midlands and North West serving 1.3 million homes. During this time Telewest founded a consortium called Cable Internet. This consisted of the major cable companies in the UK working together a provide national Internet access service.
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