Cable TV and broadband player NTL Ireland said this morning it has extended its MMDS digital TV service to Mayo. A spokeswoman for the company said broadband will eventually be part of the plan but a date has not yet been confirmed.
The company said customers who sign to NTL’s digital basic package for €19.50 a month between now and December will receive free connection, free access to its Digital Choice package. Multi-room viewing and extra channels such as Sky Sports and Sky Movies will also be made available.
The MMDS-based service will also include an electronic programme guide, which enables customers to set reminders, view programme synopsis and is fitted with a parental-locking device.
NTL Ireland sales and marketing director Mark Mohan commented: “Demand across NTL’s networks continues to grow with more than 109,000 subscribers currently availing of NTL’s digital TV services in Dublin, Galway and Waterford.”
Despite the potential rise of cable broadband in Ireland, Mohan indicates the company is also eyeing up opportunities in the wireless spectrum over MMDS space. “We call it wireless cable – point-to-multipoint communications with plenty of bandwidth. We have been in talks with the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources about this as a means of commercial spreading broadband but we have received no specific feedback as of yet, so it’s more than likely a longer-term possibility.”
While MMDS remains in the background, Mohan is confident broadband over cable will entice the next generation of broadband customers. “This year we will probably enable 18,000 to 20,000 homes for TV and broadband services in the Dublin area alone and we are expecting to derive considerable business from the 80,000 new homes being constructed in Ireland annually,” Mohan concludes.
By John Kennedy
