Page 39 - link magazine

See us on the net @ www.i-way.co.uk/—swindonlink The Link Magazine • March 1998 39
Cable comes again.

This time with goodies!

People living in West Swindon in 1986 will recall the chaos caused by the laying of cable
television. It's all going to start again from 1 March, with every house in Swindon, Purton,
Wootton Bassett and Wroughton to be passed by cable by the end of 1999.
Every street is to be dug up by return slip asking residents to let
ComTel in a £30 million operation us know if there are any special
to supply new television and tel- needs, such as access for people A
ephone services. This time it could with disability.
be worth the disruption. "We expect to pass a house in Professional
one working day. After the cable
The past is laid, we will send a letter of Service For
Twelve years ago people were get- thanks to residents, and the instal-
ting used to Channel 4, satellite lation will be tested before it goes Landlords
television was just being estab- live about two months later."
lished, telephone connection via He added that the council will
cable and the internet was just a monitor trench digging and will
fanciful vision for a few. only take over the pavements after
Without much warning, Swin- two years. ComTel will be setting
don Cable started to dig up re- up a cable construction helpline
cently completed pavements, the for householders to call for infor-
mud, dust and mess was incred- Comtel public relations mana'cr Will mation or complain.
ible, cars and mums pushing bug- Cairns, left, and Construction Man- We specialise in letting
gies were trapped on driveways agerMalcolm Anley at the company's The future qualit homes in
y
by often rude and unhelpful con- Hawksworth base The new cable system will offer:
tractors. nels, telephone services can now • television and telephone and around Swindon
Legislation had recently be provided by a range of suppli- connections through one cable
awarded cable companies public ers and the internet is developing into the home, for one
utility status and gave them the into a serious method of gaining installation fee
right to dig up roads and pave- information and services.
ments like gas, electricity, tel- The franchise for Swindon is • an increase from the present
ephones and water. In protest now owned by ComTel, a subsidi- 31 television channels to
CACTUS, Campaign against Ca- ary of Dutch telecoms and postal several hundred when digital
ble under Swindon, was set up to provider KPN, which operates in TV develops, including home
give Swindon Cable a hard time in nine franchise areas across Eng- shopping and banking
the media. land. • pay per view channels and
eventually Near Video on DIAMOND
Demand, showing recently 'rELEMISION
released films
• low cost telephone services,
cheaper than BT; free local LOOK!!
evening and weekend calls
between cable users
We now sell NEW
• Internet provider services
• free connections to schools * Washing machines
* Tumble dryers * Dishwashers
ComTel has been laying cable out-
side Swindon to link all its fran- * Fridge/freezers * Microwaves
chise areas. The work in March * Kettles - irons - toasters, etc
will start from the Swindon base at
Hawksworth Industrial Estate to- Why shop at Diamond?
wards Gorse Hill and Stratton to
S,cm,loii's last Conservative MP Simon Coombs hearing complaints from connect with the Comtel headquar- Because we offer you
Freshbrook residents in 1986 about the way cable had been installed outside ters near Reading, laid along the our 5* SERVICE
their homes
A419. 1 Friendly and helpful staff
The company tried desperately Public relations manager Will 2 We will endeavour to source
to convince residents with belated Cairns said the existing cable net- TIPS FROM THE LINK your choice of item if not in stock
explanations about the future at- work is still owned by BT which If you live in Peatmoor and North
tractions of multi-channel TV and means, as competitors for tel- Swindon where roads and pave- 3 We accept all major credit cards
cheap telephone calls to convince ephone business, ComTel has to ments have not been completed, plus credit facilities available
(subject to status)
them that it was worth all the dis- create a new system. do not let the contractors put on
ruption and aggravation. "We will take all steps possible the top surface. It will only be dug 4 We will deliver and install (to
Cable laying practices were im- to minimise disruption to residents up sometime in the next 18 months. existing points) Free of charge
proved as a result, but the pro- with good information before con- 5 We will dispose of your old unit
gramme was cut back and little struction starts and using good If you want to see how badly cable Free of charge
cable has been laid since. working practices. A leaflet in- was installed twelve years ago, The Ample car parking outside
forming that work is due to start Link has a video showing the dev- our showroom at
The present will be distributed three to four astation to streets and pavements. 15/15A Rodbourne Road
Technology has caught up with weeks beforehand. A few days It is available to view in return for Rodbourne, Swindon
the predictions. Digital TV will before we dig up a street a card a £5 donation to the Greendown
soon offer a huge number of chan- will be put through doors with a School music school. Tel: 872282. Tel: 01793 497591