What when? 1990 Videotron start offering cable television services 1993 Videotron add cable telephone services 1995 November Videotron start marketing their services in conjunction with Internet Service Providers 1996 Second half Extensive Videotron marketing campaign to attract Internet users 23 October Cable and Wireless agree merger of four cable companies including Videotron 1997 1 January - 31 May Videotron marketing campaign continues March Unmetered calls extended from 12 to 14 hours per weekday 1 June CWC comes into being; Videotron name vanishes 9 June Letter of welcome to CWC from Graham Wallace June Speculation about loss of unmetered local calls starts 24 June Cable and Wireless Watch (old site) opened June - October Conflicting signals from CWC about loss of unmetered local calls Late October Leaked information by word of mouth of intended removal of unmetered local calls Late October Cable and Wireless Watch redesigned 9 November Email from Graham Wallace confirming CWC intent 12 November Pledge and news pages launched 21 November Mailing list launched 9 December Well-known consumer publication gets involved 11 December 100 pledges signed 14 December Outline legal research completed 23 December CWC give impression of backing down over unmetered local calls 1998 2 January CWC marketing material distributed, sparking off complaints 5 January Pledge rewritten to gather statistics 10 January 200 pledges signed 21 January Brief mention in The Guardian 23 January Decision 'in principle' to remove unmetered local calls taken 28 January OFTEL direct CWC to supply tariff information to anyone who wants it 30 January ASA take up complaint about CWC marketing material 4 February Times article released 4 February Statement about cable modems mid-February - mid-March Increase in line rental and removal of Videotron benefits 11 February CWC confirm that unmetered local calls will stay 18 February Doctor Keyboard article printed in The Times 19 February CWC try to take their statements back 21 February 300 pledges signed 25 February Second Doctor Keyboard article published 26 February CWC statement 28 February CWC correction to statement 5 March Which? feature published 6 March ASA ask for information on another complaint 11 March Practical Internet article published 31 March Festival of 'Free' Calls takes place 1 April 400 pledges signed 2 April Removal of Videoway announced 17 April Wrong bills start turning up 1 May Cable modem trials 'stay of execution' 2 May 450 pledges signed 13 May Billing problems partially corrected 25 May Cable and Wireless Watch is 1 27 May 500 pledges signed June Move to new billing system 10 June Two complaints against CWC advertising upheld by ASA 22-26 June Three print articles about misbilling 3 July 550 pledges signed 6 July Informal ASA ruling 8 July Third complaint against CWC advertising upheld by ASA 30 July Improved set-top box announced end of July OFTEL begin investigation of misbilling 11 August CWC try to change Southampton tariffs 2 September More billing problems 4 September Unofficial confirmation of set-top box charges 26 September 600 pledges signed 22 October First intimations of OFTEL investigation Text by Alastair Scott Cable and Wireless Watch main page