AS expected, several bidders indicated that they would be prepared to pay in excess of £300 million for the Cablelink franchise. The final price could even exceed £400 million. The final bids have to be lodged by April 23rd. In the meantime, plenty of exploratory talking is taking place among the five parties, a couple of whom have sounded one another out on the possibility of combining on a joint bid, while others, not currently in the frame, are said to be waiting in the wings.

The Cablelink sale will change the landscape of the Republic's cable industry.

In Britain, a huge amount of consolidation has taken place and just three main players remain.

Cable industry sources in Ireland say the situation will be no different here.

For example, if Princes/TCI, who are the second biggest players in the industry, with 160,000 customers, do not get Cablelink, it is likely that at least one of the shareholders will review whether it is worth remaining at that size, or whether they should sell out. The same applies to Cable Management Ireland (CMI), whose major shareholder is Legal and General Ventures.

With just 65,000 customers, CMI would find it difficult to compete against the kind of services which a full service Cablelink would provide. However, although small, it would be attractive to whoever wins the franchise. All are now agreed that providing a national service is the way to proceed.