NTL Incorporated, the UK's number one cable company, has today announced the launch of Broadband Plus, a premium broadband content bundle which provides customers with easy access to a wide range of web-based content. The service is available to NTL's 600K and 1MB broadband customers for GBP 3.99 per month, instead of about GBP 30 per month, which is what it would cost if customers were to subscribe to all fifteen services individually.
NTL will use Broadband Plus as an acquisition tool to attract new customers as well as encourage existing 150K broadband and dial-up customers to upgrade to its higher speed broadband services. Customers signing up before 1 March 2004 will pay nothing for Broadband Plus for the first three months.
Broadband Plus, which focuses on music, gaming and education content, brings together 15 brands including Tweenies (provided by BBC Worldwide), MTV, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Freeloader, Game.Net, Music Choice, Time Tunnel, VidZone and Download 365 for the first time. The new service also features Espresso Education, a curriculum-based educational resource for primary school children, which includes video clips, interactive multimedia activities, and a special "Parents' Guide" to the national curriculum. Up until now this service has only been available in schools. Other Broadband Plus content partners will be added in 2004.
Simon Duffy, CEO of NTL comments: "Today there are over 2.6 million broadband connected homes in the UK and I am very pleased to announce the launch of a product designed to help families make better use of their high speed internet service. NTL has led the development of broadband in the UK and Broadband Plus will reinforce this record of innovation. It gives everyone another compelling reason to choose NTL Home as their broadband provider."
More on NTL Broadband Plus
Broadband Plus content includes:
- Curriculum-based education service for 6 to 11 year-olds from Espresso Education featuring videos, interactive activities and animated characters. Also includes special Parents' Guide. Previously only accessible in schools
- A music collection of over 230,000 tracks to download or stream from Europe's leading digital music service provider OD2
- The world's most famous learning resource from Britannica - 1000's of facts and authoritative information with videos and great interactivity
- Videos on demand, learning and fun from the Tweenies, play Tweenies games and let the kids interact and learn with Bella, Fizz, Milo and Jake in a stunning broadband adventure playground developed by BBC Worldwide
- Get the latest with the BBCi Broadband Console - offering high-quality broadband audio and video from bbc.co.uk. Users can access the latest news, sport and weather as well as an EastEnders video catch up service and a range of clips from the nation's favourite BBC comedies
- Over 8000 general interest videos
- 100's of games to download, play from up 60 multi-player games
- 16 back to back streaming music channels
- Over 3000 music videos on demand plus live performances to enjoy.
