NTL claims it's a broadband winner

NTL is claiming the lead in the race for Broadband Britain with the company's broadband cable service steaming ahead of the competition.

The ISP has signed-up 100,000 residential broadband customers less than one year after the launch of its cable service - beating the company's initial target.

However, Lars Godell, European telecoms analyst at Forrester Research, said: "I don't think they are making money from broadband right now. They are using strategic pricing to grab customers as they are involved in a dogfight with BT for market share."

A spokesman from NTL said Godell's comments missed the point of the company's broadband service, where broadband is sold together with digital TV and a phone service.

The spokesman said revenues from the three services are not broken down, but that revenue per household is on target.

NTL believes more than 240,000 UK homes now have broadband access, with cable providing broadband for 70 per cent of that market.