[Wolves] Telewest Blueyonder just got even FASTER !

[Re-LoaD]

Information in this message is confidential and strictly for internal
use only and should not be shared externally before 12:00 on 11
November 2004.

Telewest Broadband today announced plans to give customers an
unexpected boost over the festive season - permanently faster internet
connections at no extra cost.

We have also pledged to keep our blueyonder internet services free of
usage caps, allowing customers to surf into the new year with peace of
mind.

The permanent bandwidth upgrades will be rolled-out from December and
should be completed by January 2005. All of our existing 750Kb, 1.5Mb
and 3Mb blueyonder internet customers will receive the faster speeds
automatically, with no need for new equipment and no additional fees.

Leading the pack will be a new ultra-fast 4Mb service - the speediest
cable service in Britain and the fastest home internet connection
available from any internet provider outside of London. Advanced
internet users should also appreciate a boost in the upstream speed of
this flagship service, allowing large files like digital photos to be
sent up to 50 per cent faster.

The overhaul will see the following options available:


blueyonder broadband 4Mb
The flagship 3Mb service will become an even faster 4Mb connection,
offering download speeds up to 80 times faster than dial-up access,
for the same price of £50 a month. The upload speed is also increased
from 256Kb to 384Kb.
blueyonder broadband 2Mb
The 1.5Mb service gets a boost to 2Mb, still at £35 per month (no
increase in upload speed)
blueyonder broadband 1Mb
The standard service will increase in speed from 750Kb to 1Mb and
still cost £25 per month (no increase in upload speed)
blueyonder broadband 256Kb
The entry-level 256Kb service will remain unchanged and is currently
on offer for just £14.99 per month (for the first 12 months, £17.99
thereafter)
Eric Tveter, our president and chief operating officer, said: "This
will be the second time this year we have increased the speed of our
blueyonder broadband services, doubling the original bandwidth with no
increased costs and no introduction of caps. This isn't a short-term
offer and there are no catches - we're simply giving broadband users
what they want, thanks to our advanced cable network."



Faster surfing for Christmas - FAQ's


Why are we upgrading our blueyonder broadband services again?
There are two main reasons. In a cluttered broadband market with
numerous new products, offers and restrictions, it's essential we
present genuine reasons why consumers should choose blueyonder. We
want customers to be confident they're using the best broadband
service money can buy.

Secondly, we're boosting the bandwidth of our connections because we
can. Our advanced fibre optic network allows us to offer more speed
for the same price and it's something that ADSL technology is
currently some way from achieving.

Surely we've been pressured into this decision by the likes of
Wanadoo's low cost 1Mb service?
Telewest Broadband is in a unique position compared to ADSL providers,
because we're not reliant on BT Wholesale's network. We first
increased the speed of our services in April this year, setting the
precedent for the UK broadband market and stepping up the pressure on
slower ADSL providers. When we announced those initial speed
increases, we made it clear they wouldn't be the last and now we are
delivering on that promise. Unlike ADSL providers we're not reliant on
introducing usage restrictions to remain competitive.

How much is this costing Telewest?
We are continually investing in our network to maintain current
service quality and anticipate requirements for the future. These
service enhancements are simply making the most of that network - our
biggest technical asset.

What's the catch?
There isn't one. This is no gimmick or temporary measure and customers
will simply be getting more bandwidth for no extra cost and with no
usage caps.

Is this upgrade available to existing customers?
Existing customers will have the upgrade automatically rolled-out out
to them on a regional basis during December and January. It's
fantastic we can offer something significant to our loyal base of
existing customers, as well as creating a unique benefit for consumers
shopping for broadband.

How will customers receive the upgrades?
The roll-out of enhanced services is expected to be completed by the
end of January and will be done on a region-by-region basis. There
will be a short planned outage in each region while changes to the
network are carried out. They will take place in the early hours and
customers can continue to use their services as normal otherwise.

Why is the 256k service not included within the upgrade?
The 256k service is aimed at customers mainly wanting faster email and
web surfing for a lower price than standard high-speed services. We
believe 256k is sufficiently fast to offer a great online experience
at a very competitive price. When customers feel they are ready to
move up to the next level of broadband they can upgrade themselves
online and now have three additional tiers to choose from.

What are the customer benefits of the upgrades?
The immediate benefits are faster downloads and higher quality video
streaming. We are continually evolving our blueyonder.co.uk site to
enable customers to get the best out of their connection in terms of
high-speed content and services.

Secondly, we expect more and more bandwidth demands to be placed on
home internet connections in the future. Home networking,
multi-tasking and an increasing number of IP-enabled applications will
all demand more speed and cable customers can rest assured they can
get it.

Will a usage cap be introduced along with these changes?
No.

What about the upstream speeds?
We're pleased to announce a 50% upgrade to the upstream speed of the
flagship 4Mb service. This will be a fantastic feature for advanced
internet users wanting to upload large amounts of data on a regular
basis.

The other tiers will remain with the existing upload speeds. The most
popular online activities benefit from a high downstream speed, but
don't require a high upstream speed. The current upstream speeds
remain sufficient for the majority of our customers and we want to
keep the prices of our services as low as possible. For the moment we
are focusing on improving the aspect of our services which will make
the biggest difference to customers.

Do customers have to contact us, or take any action to receive the upgrade?
No, it will be done automatically.

Is every single customer going to receive the upgrades?
There will be no change to the entry-level 256Kb service.

Technical compatibility issues prevent us from offering speeds greater
than 1mb to customers who receive service via a digital TV set-top
box. These customers may request an engineer visit to install a
stand-alone cable modem so they can receive the upgraded services.
There will be a £25 charge for the engineer visit, and any self
install kit (wired or wireless) will no longer be supported.

When we last increased our speeds (April 2004) customers with
broadband delivered via their set top box were only able to receive a
maximum speed of 1Mb. These customers will not benefit from the
upgrade due to the technical limitations of the digital set top box.
As a result we will be reducing their monthly bills by £10 to bring
them in line with the customers on 750k receiving the upgrade to 1Mb.
Therefore, their new monthly charge will be reduced to £25.00 from
January 2005. We will be writing to these customers during December.

What about wireless customers?
750k wireless customers will benefit from the speed increase.

However, please note that technical compatibility issues prevent us
from offering speeds greater than 1mb to customers who receive service
via a digital TV set-top box (wireless). These customers may request
an engineer visit to install a stand-alone cable modem so they can
receive speeds greater than 1Mb. There will be a £25 charge for the
engineer visit, and the wireless kit will no longer be supported.

When can new customers purchase the enhanced services?
We will be announcing when the roll-out is complete and consumers who
sign up now and will be automatically included in the rollout of the
speed increase when it becomes available in their area. We expect the
increased speeds to be available across our network by the end of
January 2005. We are currently offering free broadband installation
across all tiers.

Will the increased speed be available all the time?
Once the rollout of the service enhancement is complete, customers
will be able to take advantage of the increased speed permanently -
this is NOT an offer, which is available for a limited time only.

Over the coming weeks, blueyonder will be carrying out the required
network upgrades to ensure that our customers continue to receive a
high quality of service following this enhancement of our services.
However, as with all broadband internet services, the actual speed at
which you surf the internet or download emails or files is dependent
on a number factors, many of which are beyond blueyonder's control.

Will there be any changes to the Terms & Conditions of service or the
Acceptable Use Policy?
No, the Terms & Conditions of service and Acceptable Usage policy are
not affected by the service enhancements.

Are our customer's 12-month contracts affected?
Customers who are currently within the term of their 12-month contract
will continue to be bound by this contract once the service
enhancements are completed. However, no additional obligations will be
introduced as a result of the speed enhancements.

If I receive a call regarding the upgrade in speed what codes should I use?
The Blueyonder Centre should use the Remedy Code - Speed Upgrade 50%
faster to record any calls specific to this announcement.

CCCS and CSDC codes have not been set up yet. More information on
these codes will be provided to you in due course.

Will the Internet service codes change as a result of the increase in speed?
No, only the billing descriptions will change.

How are we notifying our customers of the change in speed?
Customers will be emailed with information prior to the change in
speed and a letter will be sent to them following the change in speed.