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Cable (technically known as Wired Broadcast Relay systems)is possibly the oldest of the Multichannel technologies. It has been in Ireland since the late sixties when RTE Relays began to cable the city of Dublin. Television pictures are picked off either off-air or from sattellite, and combined into the RF cable signal at the head-end. This signal is relayed from the headend via co-axial or fibre-optic cable to the customers. In Ireland, the usual system is to send these pictures down the cable as normal VHF Bands I or III, or UHF transmissions. The advantage of this system is that no special reception equipment (ie, an STB) is required. The disadvantage is that the number of channels is limited to the number of VHF frequencies. To date, NTL has been able to squeeze 26 channels into VHF Bands I and III on its Dublin system. However whether any more could fit in is doubtful. Therefore, in most other countries, cable channels are transmitted out-of-band and placed to UHF band by an STB. This method is used by NTL in the North and Chorus in Cork. The use of fibre-optic cables also increases the space for channels. Through a combination of technologies, one can squeeze around 100 channels in. However this is not now enough...so by changing to digital transmission, up to 500 channels may be carried.

In the Republic of Ireland, digital cable companies are licenced by the Office of the Director of Telecommunications Regulation under the Programme Services Distribution Regulations, 1999. These licences are exclusive until 19th April 2004. In Northern Ireland, NTL holds a multiple systems operator's licence under the Broadcasting Acts 1990-1996 from the Independent Television Commission and the Office of Telecommunications UK. Since 1st January 2001, this licence is now non-exclusive.

Nowadays cable companies do not just offer TV. They can, if the network is suitable upgraded to Hybrid Fibre-Coax, offer also telephony and high speed internet service. In fact NTL makes most of its money from telephony.

THE CABLE AND MMDS COMPANIES:
There are three cable companies licenced to provide digital and analogue in Ireland, the first two of which are multiple systems operators - they hold licences for many areas:

• NTL Ireland (430,000 subscribers)

• Chorus Communication - Princes Holdings Ltd (250,000 subscribers)

• Casey Cablevision (2500 subscribers)

NB. These figures are approximete and include MMDS customers and in the case of NTL, telephone-only customers.

These companies emerged at the end of a process of consolidation which ended in 1999. NTL, a US owned but UK based telecommunications company, took over the following:

• CableTel Northern Ireland (Always owned by NTL)

• Cablelink (Itself formed from the merger of RTE Relays, Phoenix Relays, and Marlin Cable/Dublin Cable Systems in 1986)

• Cablelink Galway (formerly Galway Cablevision)

• Cablelink Waterford (formerly Waterford Cablevision).

Chorus Communication (Princes Holdings Ltd), an Independent News and Media/Liberty Media joint venture, was formed out of a simular process of mergers and buyouts from the following companies:

• Cork Communications*

• Horizon TV Distribution*

• East Coast Multichannel/Independent Wireless Cable*

• Westward Cable*

• Liberty Ireland-CMI Cable (Until 1999, known as Cable Management Ireland Ltd)

• Suir Nore Relays.

* During the 1990s, Princes Holdings Ltd built up large majority stakes in these companies. The companies employed dual PHL-own branding during this period. In 1996, it acquired 100% control of these companies. From then until 2000 they traded as Irish Multichannel (the existing PHL logo was retained during this time).

Casey Cablevision is a small family owned cable company based in Dungavan, Co. Waterford.

For information on what services these firms offer see the companies page.

ANALOGUE-ONLY LOCAL DELIVERY OPERATORS.
A number of companies are licenced to provide analogue TV only cable systems on a small, local basis. These are licenced by the ODTR under the Wired Broadcast Relay Regulations, 1974. They have unlimited licences and unlimited exclusivity.

• Bagenalstown Cable TV Ltd - Mhuine Beag/Bangenalstown

• Emmet Electrical Ltd - Boyle

• Smyths Audio/Video Systems Ltd - Cavan

• Benny Crossan and Sons Ltd - Longford

• Orlynn Park Amneities Ltd - Lusk

• Tara Cove Holidays Ltd - Ballymoney, Co. Wexford

See our page on the smaller companies (includes Casey Cablevision).

CABLE COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND
The trade association for the cable and MMDS companies is the Cable Communications Association of Ireland, the chairperson of which is Kevin Windle, who served as Managing Director of Cablelink from 1986 until 1999 and is now an executive consultant with NTL. Since consolidation in 1999, the association has not been particularly active. Its latest project was a report on digital cable and MMDS which was published in 1999.

The CCAI can be contact c/o NTL, 10 Pembroke Place, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.