BERMUDA CableVision is making progress with the roll-out of its digital cable service, which is now available in Pembroke, as well as in St. David's and St. George's, where it was introduced last summer, and hopes to make the service available island-wide by the end of the year.

CableVision, frequently pilloried by frustrated customers who air their grievances in Letters to the Editor, reports there is great enthusiasm for the new service, with hundreds of subscribers in St. David's and St. George's signing up for digital.

With its new digital line-up, CableVision is now offering more than 150 channels of entertainment, including 45 channels of commercial-free CD-quality music.

The digital line-up includes a Variety Tier featuring 20 of the most requested channels from a CableVision customer survey, as well as 14 pay-per-view channels offering the latest movies and live events. The digital service also features multiple movie channels from HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and TMC.

"We are delighted that customers are now reaping the true benefits of our investment in the new cable system," said Alan Smith, operations manager of CableVision. "We were set back several months by the hurricane (Fabian), as we mobilised all our personnel on those repairs, but we are now increasing the resources directed to our digital roll-out.

"In fact, in order to keep up with the overwhelming customer response, we have been hiring additional technicians and installers to help us get more customers connected faster. Our plan is to make the service available to all our customers between now and the end of the year."

Digital cable service is enabled via CableVision's new broadband network, which is being completed parish by parish, and incorporates fibre optics as well as all-new plant and electronics. The broadband network enables not only the provision of digital cable service, with an ability to accommodate hundreds of new channels, but also an array of new interactive services.

Jeremy Elmas, general manager of CableVision, said: "Our customers are beginning to reap the benefits of our investment in the network. We have also invested heavily in training our employees, and we are continuing to invest more this year. We are pleased to be the first to introduce digital television to Bermuda.

"Because we are building an advanced broadband network with two-way capabilities, we will be able to offer more in the way of advanced inter-active services, such as Impulse Pay-Per-View, interactive games, even e-mail and web applications on TV. The future of entertainment lies in our ability to interact via our television sets."

CableVision reports that interactive services will be available island-wide by year-end, though two-way capabilities and some interactive services have already been activated in St. David's and St. George's.

Mr. Smith said the company was receiving calls daily from customers wanting to know when they could make the upgrade to digital.

"We will announce the availability of digital cable service by placing hangers on customer's doors once the service is available in their area. The company will also alert customers via the telephone and regular notices on the CableVision web site (www.cablevision.bm)."

With its Internet-ready network nearing completion, CableVision also announced that the Ministry of Telecommunications has granted the company's request to provide high-speed connectivity between its customers and Internet service providers (ISPs).

Mr. Elmas added: "CableVision is also seeking a full Internet licence to provide an end-to-end service to customers. CableVision's network would allow it to offer higher connection speeds than are currently available to residential customers. However, a current moratorium on ISP licences will prevent that from occurring until a later date."

Mr. Smith made reference to recent studies that showed Bermuda has most television sets in the world per capita, as well as the world's highest Internet penetration rate.