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Technology Stocks : C-Cube -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Black-Scholes who wrote (41879)	6/9/1999 9:25:00 AM
From: Maya	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

NTL to launch UK digital cable on Sept 1 LONDON, June 9 (Reuters) - British cable operator NTL Inc said on Wednesday it would begin rolling out its new digital cable services in its franchise regions on September 1. NTL, which is listed on Nasdaq in the United States, said initial digital cable trials would start in June with a full commercial trial during July and August. ''We think we'll be able to get to about a quarter of a million (subscribers) by next year,'' Chief Executive Barclay Knapp told reporters. He added that NTL plans to set up a new entity that will include its broadcast transmission operations in Britain, Australia and other countries, and list 19 percent of this on Nasdaq by the end of the summer. Knapp said the listing would most likely be in the form of a tracking stock aimed at underpinning the new unit's ability to raise debt. NTL itself also plans to have a listing on the London Stock Exchange by the end of the year. ''The London listing is still a project that's in the works -- hopefully by the end of the year,'' he said. Knapp said NTL may bid for a next generation UMTS mobile phone licence in Britain in 2000 and would also be talking to mobile operators about obtaining services to add to its range of businesses. ''We do have a hole in mobile -- mobile is a hole we will fix,'' he said, adding that this would take place in 2000-2001. Regarding U.S. software giant Microsoft Corp's (Nasdaq:MSFT - news) recent investments in the UK cable industry, Knapp said the move had boosted investor confidence in the British industry. However, Microsoft's entry had done little to change merger prospects. ''I wouldn't say that they're much different than what they were before...There are a lot of talks going on between all the parties,'' he said, although he declined to comment on industry speculation that NTL was in merger talks with cable rivals Cable and Wireless Communications (quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland: CWZ.L) and Telewest Communications (quote from Yahoo! UK & Ireland: TWT.L). ''I can't really bet today whether you'll see two or three of us all together,'' he said, noting that there were complex shareholder and organisational issues involved in any potential alliances. ''The betting starts at 50/50.'' biz.yahoo.com