UK cable giants NTL and Telewest have today officially merged, gaining combined revenues of £3.4 billion. The long predicted move follows years of speculation and restructuring.

Technically speaking it's more of a take-over, with dominant player NTL acquiring Telewest to form the UK's second largest communications company, covering 50% of households:

The combined company will have nearly 5 million residential customers. It will be the largest provider of residential broadband services in the country with 2.5 million subscribers, the second largest pay TV provider with 3.3 million subscribers and also the second largest fixed telephony provider with 4.3 million subscribers.

The Board of the enlarged company will consist of all the current directors of ntl plus two directors from Telewest. James Mooney will be Chairman of the Board of Directors, Anthony (Cob) Stenham will be Deputy Chairman and Simon Duffy will be the President and Chief Executive Officer. Telewest's Acting Chief Executive Officer, Barry Elson, will leave the company upon the completion of the transaction and Telewest's Chief Operating Officer, Eric Tveter, will leave the company at the end of 2006.

Today is very much about show, yet underneath grows uncertainty among consumers. Will Telewest's broadband and dialup ISP packages change to look more like NTL's? Will the two ultimately combine under one single name (NTL)? We will be seeking answers to these in the coming days/weeks.