NTL has at last given an inkling of what its customers can expect of the digital revolution - not much.

The cable giant, which has a monopoly in the areas it serves, has reneged on the commitments it made when it secured a cable licence. It promised a wide range of broadband services, with digital television and "always on" high-speed Internet and telephony.

Instead, it will offer a slimmed-down, poorer quality service over its existing cable network.

What will be interesting to see is how much it will expect people to pay for such half measures. NTL is an international group and it should not be too hard to compare prices across its different regions and gauge if Irish consumers end up paying for the service someone else will receive.