NTL:Telewest to become Virgin Media

Goodbye NTL:Telewest, hello Virgin Media - the UK's first quadruple play player has been rechristened.

After the long buyout saga that saw NTL and Telewest merge and then acquire Virgin Mobile, the consumer division of the combined company, NTL:Telewest, will go under the new name Virgin Media from the first quarter of next year.

Post-rebrand, the company will push content across various delivery platforms and has already announced its first quadruple play offering, where users can buy their broadband access, pay TV, fixed and mobile phone from a single supplier. Pre-rebrand, the business units will continue to operate under their own names.

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In financial results out today, NTL:Telewest revealed its losses have deepened as a result of the acquisition. For the quarter ended 30 September, the operator reported operational losses of £9.6m, compared to £4.7m in the corresponding quarter last year.

NTL:Telewest attributed the increase to costs associated with rebranding and restructuring.

NTL:Telewest is hoping to remake itself in the image of Virgin. Not known for its great customer service, the cable co will be spending £5m this year to improve its customer care.

The company is also looking to boost its broadband speeds under the Virgin banner. NTL:Telewest is to begin trialling a 50Mbps service with a rollout likely next year.