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SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549


Form 10-Q

     
(Mark One)    
     
x   Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2003.
     
o   Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15 (d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the transition period from             to

Commission File Number: 0-19889


South Hertfordshire United Kingdom Fund, Ltd.

Exact name of registrant as specified in charter
     
Colorado   84-1145140

 
State of organization   I.R.S. employer I.D.#

NTL House, Bartley Wood Business Park, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 9UP, England
Address of principal executive office

011 44 1256 752000
Registrant’s telephone number

     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o

     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act) Yes o No x

     The number of limited partnership units of the registrant outstanding as of September 30, 2003 was 56,935.



 


TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 5. OTHER INFORMATION
ITEM 6. EXHIBITS AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K
SIGNATURES


Table of Contents

SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE UNITED KINGDOM FUND, LIMITED
(A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP)
QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

INDEX

                         
                    Page
                    Number
                   
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION        
        Item 1.   Financial Statements        
               
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as of September 30, 2003 (unaudited) and December 31, 2002
    1  
               
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Three and Nine Months Ended September 30, 2003 and 2002 (unaudited)
    2  
               
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2003 and 2002 (unaudited)
    3  
               
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (unaudited)
    4  
        Item 2.   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Results of Operations and Financial Condition     8  
        Item 3.   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk     15  
        Item 4.   Controls and Procedures     15  
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION        
        Item 5.   Other Information     16  
        Item 6.   Exhibits and Reports on Form 8-K     17  
       
SIGNATURES
    18  

 


Table of Contents

SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE UNITED KINGDOM FUND, LIMITED
(A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP)
QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

                     
        September 30,   December 31,
        2003   2002
       
 
        (unaudited)   (see Note)
Assets
               
Fixed assets, net
  $ 56,080,613     $ 58,877,094  
Other assets
    24,930       96,570  
 
   
     
 
Total assets
  $ 56,105,543     $ 58,973,664  
 
   
     
 
Liabilities and Partners’ Deficit
               
Current liabilities
               
 
Accounts payable to affiliates and related parties
  $ 61,132,191     $ 62,691,338  
 
   
     
 
Total liabilities
    61,132,191       62,691,338  
 
   
     
 
Commitments and contingencies
               
Partners’ capital (deficit)
               
General Partner
               
 
Contributed capital
    1,000       1,000  
 
Accumulated deficit
    (537,664 )     (525,377 )
 
   
     
 
 
    (536,664 )     (524,377 )
 
   
     
 
Limited Partners
               
 
Contributed capital, net (56,935 units outstanding at September 30, 2003 and December 31, 2002)
    48,817,997       48,817,997  
 
Accumulated deficit
    (52,947,575 )     (51,731,154 )
 
   
     
 
 
    (4,129,578 )     (2,913,157 )
 
Accumulated comprehensive loss
    (360,406 )     (280,140 )
 
   
     
 
   
Total Partners’ deficit
    (5,026,648 )     (3,717,674 )
 
   
     
 
Total liabilities and Partners’ deficit
  $ 56,105,543     $ 58,973,664  
 
   
     
 

Note: The balance sheet at December 31, 2002 has been derived from audited financial statements at that date.

See accompanying notes.

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SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE UNITED KINGDOM FUND, LIMITED
(A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP)
QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)

                                   
      Three months ended   Nine months ended
      September 30,   September 30,
     
 
      2003   2002   2003   2002
     
 
 
 
Revenues
  $ 8,205,910     $ 7,516,867     $ 24,136,129     $ 21,940,923  
Costs and expenses
                               
Cost of goods sold (exclusive of items shown below)
    (2,606,818 )     (2,547,657 )     (8,025,979 )     (8,173,367 )
Selling, general and administrative expenses
    (18,250 )     (41,613 )     (54,750 )     (148,975 )
Management fees and allocated overhead from the General Partner
    (3,179,765 )     (2,944,320 )     (9,817,850 )     (8,925,873 )
Other charges
    (153,471 )     (514,700 )     (153,471 )     (514,700 )
Depreciation
    (1,871,772 )     (2,064,893 )     (5,851,771 )     (5,602,926 )
 
   
     
     
     
 
Operating income (loss)
    375,834       (596,316 )     232,308       (1,424,918 )
Other expenses
                               
Interest payable to general partner and affiliates
    (453,674 )     (403,879 )     (1,335,035 )     (1,095,563 )
Other
    (24,158 )     (23,255 )     (72,482 )     (66,578 )
Exchange losses
    (9,287 )     (43,687 )     (53,499 )     (122,616 )
 
   
     
     
     
 
Net loss before minority interests
    (111,285 )     (1,067,137 )     (1,228,708 )     (2,709,675 )
Minority interests
          140,113             596,409  
 
   
     
     
     
 
Net (loss)
    ($111,285 )     ($927,024 )     ($1,228,708 )     ($2,113,266 )
 
   
     
     
     
 
Allocation of net loss
                               
 
General Partner
    ($1,113 )     ($9,270 )     ($12,287 )     ($21,133 )
 
Limited Partners
    (110,172 )     (917,754 )     (1,216,421 )     (2,092,133 )
 
   
     
     
     
 
Net loss
    ($111,285 )     ($927,024 )     ($1,228,708 )     ($2,113,266 )
 
   
     
     
     
 
Net (loss) per Limited Partnership unit
    ($1.94 )     ($16.12 )     ($21.37 )     ($36.75 )
 
   
     
     
     
 
Weighted average number of Limited Partnership units outstanding
    56,935       56,935       56,935       56,935  
 
   
     
     
     
 

See accompanying notes.

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SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE UNITED KINGDOM FUND, LIMITED
(A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP)
QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)

                     
        Nine months ended
        September 30,
       
        2003   2002
       
 
Cash flows from operating activities
               
Net loss
    ($1,228,708 )     ($2,113,266 )
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities
               
 
Minority interests
          (596,409 )
 
Depreciation
    5,851,773       5,602,926  
Change in operating assets and liabilities
               
 
Decrease in other assets
    72,482       97,828  
 
Decrease in accounts payable to affiliates and related parties
    (3,399,755 )     (1,582,837 )
 
   
     
 
   
Net cash provided by operating activities
    1,295,792       1,408,242  
 
   
     
 
Cash flows from investing activities
               
 
Purchase of fixed assets
    (1,295,792 )     (1,408,242 )
 
   
     
 
   
Net cash used in investing activities
    (1,295,792 )     (1,408,242 )
 
   
     
 
Movement in cash and cash equivalents
           
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
           
 
   
     
 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
  $     $  
 
   
     
 
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information
               
 
Cash paid during the period for interest
  $     $  
 
   
     
 

See accompanying notes.

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SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE UNITED KINGDOM FUND, LIMITED
(A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP)
QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)

1. Basis of Presentation

Organization and Business

We are a limited partnership that holds 66.7% of the shares of NTL (South Hertfordshire) Limited, or NTL South Herts, principally engaged in the development, construction, management and operation of broadband communications networks for telephone, cable television and Internet services in the United Kingdom, or the UK. As a result of our ownership of 66.7% of the shares of NTL South Herts, for accounting purposes we have consolidated the results of NTL South Herts with our results. NTL South Herts is a 33.3% indirect investment of NTL Incorporated. NTL South Herts is reliant on the support of NTL Incorporated, the ultimate parent company of the General Partner, to continue its operations as a going concern. Throughout this report, NTL Incorporated together with its consolidated subsidiaries is referred to as “NTL”.

Chapter 11 Reorganization

On May 8, 2002, NTL, NTL Europe, Inc. and certain of their subsidiaries filed a pre-arranged joint reorganization plan under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. We were not included in the Chapter 11 filing, nor were the operating subsidiaries of NTL and NTL Europe. The Plan became effective on January 10, 2003, at which time NTL emerged from Chapter 11 reorganization.

Basis of Presentation

We have prepared the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles in the United States, or US GAAP, generally accepted for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by US GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of our management, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Results of operations for the period ended September 30, 2003 are not necessarily indicative of results to be expected for the full year ending December 31, 2003. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2002.

Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation.

2. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In April 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 149, “Amendment of Statement 133 on Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities.” SFAS No.149 amends and clarifies financial accounting and reporting for derivative instruments, including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts and for hedging activities under SFAS No. 133, “Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities.” This statement is effective for contracts entered into or modified after June 30, 2003. The adoption of this statement did not have a significant effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

In January 2003, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 46, “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities”, which requires variable interest entities to be consolidated by the primary beneficiary of the entity if certain criteria are met. FIN 46 is effective immediately for all new variable interest entities created or acquired after January 31, 2003. For variable interest entities created or acquired prior to February 1, 2003, the provisions of FIN 46 become effective for us during the fourth quarter of 2003. The implementation of this interpretation is not expected to have a significant effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

In November 2002, the Emerging Issues Task Force reached a consensus on EITF No. 00-21, “Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables”. EITF 00-21 provides guidance on how to account for arrangements that

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SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE UNITED KINGDOM FUND, LIMITED
(A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP)
QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

involve the delivery or performance of multiple products, services and/or rights to use assets. The provisions of EITF 00-21 will apply to revenue arrangements entered into in fiscal periods beginning after June 15, 2003. The adoption of EITF 00-21 did not have a significant effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

In July 2002, the FASB issued SFAS No. 146, “Accounting for Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities.” SFAS No. 146 replaced EITF Issue No. 94-3 “Liability Recognition for Certain Employee Termination Benefits and Other Costs to Exit an Activity (including Certain Costs Incurred in a Restructuring)”. SFAS No. 146 requires that a liability for costs associated with an exit or disposal activity is recognized when the liability is incurred. SFAS No. 146 is effective for exit or disposal activities that are initiated after December 31, 2002. The adoption of this standard did not have a significant effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

In June 2001, the FASB issued SFAS No. 143, “Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations,” effective for us on January 1, 2003. SFAS No. 143 addresses financial accounting and reporting for obligations associated with the retirement of tangible fixed assets and the associated asset retirement costs. The adoption of this standard has not had a significant impact on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.

3. Comprehensive loss (unaudited)

Comprehensive loss includes net loss as well as other comprehensive loss. Our other comprehensive loss consists of changes in cumulative translation adjustment. Comprehensive loss comprises (unaudited):

                                 
    Three months ended   Nine months ended
    September 30,   September 30,
   
 
    2003   2002   2003   2002
   
 
 
 
Net loss
    ($111,285 )     ($927,024 )     ($1,228,708 )     ($2,113,266 )
Foreign currency translation adjustments
    (14,252 )     23,964       (80,266 )     40,493  
 
   
     
     
     
 
Comprehensive loss
    ($125,537 )     ($903,060 )     ($1,308,974 )     ($2,072,773 )
 
   
     
     
     
 

4. Investment in subsidiary

We are a limited partnership that holds 66.7% of the shares of NTL South Herts, which is principally engaged in the development, construction, management and operation of broadband communications networks for telephone, cable television and Internet services in the United Kingdom.

NTL South Herts is a United Kingdom corporation that owns and operates a cable television/telephony system in the South Hertfordshire franchise area, located adjacent to the northwest perimeter of Greater London, England, or the South Herts System.

NTL South Herts is owned 33.3% by NTL (B) Limited, an indirect subsidiary of NTL Incorporated. The General Partner is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of NTL Incorporated. The General Partner provides consulting services to us and may delegate some or all of the consulting services to NTL Incorporated or to other affiliates.

NTL Incorporated, through its subsidiaries and its interest in NTL South Herts, serves approximately 2.8 million residential cable television, Internet and telephony customers as at September 30, 2003.

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SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE UNITED KINGDOM FUND, LIMITED
(A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP)
QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

5. Transactions with affiliated parties

Consulting and Management Fees

We pay a consulting fee to an affiliate of the General Partner. During the construction phases of the South Herts System, this consulting fee was 2 percent of construction costs. Since completion of construction of each portion of the system, the consulting fee for the completed portion has been 5 percent of the gross revenues, excluding revenues from the sale of cable television/telephony systems. The consulting fee is calculated and payable monthly. We paid consulting fees for the three months ended September 30, 2003 and 2002 of $410,297 and $382,866 respectively. We paid consulting fees for the nine months ended September 30, 2003 and 2002 of $1,206,807 and $1,125,209 respectively. These amounts were expensed in the Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for each period.

Distribution Ratios and Reimbursement

Any distributions made by us from cash flow (defined as cash receipts derived from routine operations, less debt principal and interest payments and cash expenses) are allocated 99 percent to the limited partners and 1 percent to the General Partner. Any distributions other than interest income on limited partner subscriptions earned prior to the acquisition of our first cable television system or from cash flow, such as from the sale or refinancing of a system or upon our dissolution, will be made as follows:

  99 percent to the limited partners and 1 percent to the General Partner until any negative balances in the limited partners’ capital accounts are reduced to zero;

  100 percent to the General Partner until any negative balance in its capital account is reduced to zero;

  99 percent to the limited partners and 1 percent to the General Partner until the balance in the limited partners’ capital accounts is equal to their adjusted capital contribution plus a 12 percent return;

  100 percent to the General Partner until the balance in its capital account is equal to its adjusted capital contribution; and

  any remaining income or gain shall be allocated 75 percent to the limited partners and 25 percent to the General Partner.

The General Partner and its affiliates are entitled to reimbursement from NTL South Herts for direct and indirect expenses allocable to the operation of the South Herts System, and from us for direct and indirect expenses allocable to our operations, which include rent, supplies, telephone, travel, copying charges and salaries of any full or part-time employees. The General Partner believes that the methodology used in allocating these expenses is fair and reasonable. During the three months ended September 30, 2003 and 2002, reimbursements made by NTL South Herts to the General Partner or its affiliates for any allocable direct and indirect expenses totaled $2,922,857 and $2,572,865 respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2003 and 2002, reimbursements made by NTL South Herts to the General Partner or its affiliates for any allocable direct and indirect expenses totaled $8,764,432 and $7,800,664 respectively.

The General Partner and its affiliates may make advances to, and defer collection of fees and allocated expenses owed by us, although they are not required to do so. We are charged interest on such advances and deferred amounts at a rate equal to the General Partner’s or certain affiliates’ weighted average cost of all debt financing from unaffiliated entities. For the three months ended September 30, 2003 and 2002, interest on deferred fees of $419,501 and $373,612 respectively, was charged by an affiliate of the General Partner, and the General Partner respectively, charged interest on advances of $34,173 and $30,267. For the nine months ended September 30, 2003 and 2002, interest on deferred fees of $1,233,550 and $1,011,000, respectively, was charged by an affiliate of the General Partner, and the General Partner, respectively, charged interest on advances of $101,485 and $84,562.

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SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE UNITED KINGDOM FUND, LIMITED
(A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP)
QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

6. Fixed assets

Fixed assets consists of:

                         
    Estimated   September 30,   December 31,
    Useful Life   2003   2002
   
 
 
    (unaudited)
Operating equipment   3-40 years   $ 122,401,608     $ 116,110,470  
Other equipment   3-50 years     7,179,604       6,978,494  
Construction in progress
                  1,129,834  
 
           
     
 
 
            129,581,212       124,218,798  
Accumulated depreciation
            (73,500,599 )     (65,341,704 )
 
           
     
 
 
          $ 56,080,613     $ 58,877,094  
 
           
     
 

We are currently evaluating the remaining useful economic lives of our fixed assets. We expect to adopt new lives when the evaluation is completed. At this time, we have not yet quantified the likely impact on our depreciation charge upon the adoption of new lives.

7. Commitments and contingent liabilities

We had no significant contractual obligations and commercial commitments as of September 30, 2003.

We are involved in legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of our business. In the opinion of the General Partner, the amount of ultimate liability with respect to these actions will not materially affect the financial position, results of our operations or liquidity.

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SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE UNITED KINGDOM FUND, LIMITED
(A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP)
QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION

Overview

We are a limited partnership that holds 66.7% of the shares of ntl (South Hertfordshire) Limited (“NTL South Herts”), which is principally engaged in the development, construction, management and operation of broadband communications networks for telephone, cable television and Internet services in the United Kingdom. NTL South Herts is a 33.3% indirect subsidiary of NTL Incorporated. Throughout this report, NTL Incorporated together with its consolidated subsidiaries is referred to as “NTL”.

Selected Operating Data

We set forth in the following table certain data concerning our franchise at September 30, 2003 and December 31, 2002:

                 
    September 30,   December 31
    2003   2002
   
 
Homes passed (1)
    92,007       91,749  
Homes marketed (2)
    92,007       91,749  
Total customers
    32,856       32,018  
Digital cable subscribers
    20,661       20,681  
Analog cable subscribers
    4,248       5,023  
Broadband internet subscribers
    9,882       5,741  
Penetration (homes marketed) (3)
    35.7 %     34.9 %
Annualized Churn (4)
    12.8 %     12.9 %

1.   Homes passed is the number of homes that have had ducting buried outside.

2.   Homes marketed is the number of homes for which the initial marketing phase (including door to door direct marketing) has been completed.

3.   Penetration rate is calculated by dividing the number of total customers by the number of homes marketed.

4.   Churn is the number of customers not continuing with any of our products expressed as a percentage of the total number of customers.

Results of Operations

We derive our revenue principally from monthly fees and usage charges. Our packaging of services and pricing are designed to encourage our customers to use multiple services like dual telephone and broadband, dual telephone and television or triple telephone, television and Internet access.

The principal components of our expenses include (1) payroll and other employee related costs; (2) interconnection costs paid to other carriers related to telephone services; (3) television programming costs; (4) marketing and selling costs; (5) repairs and maintenance; (6) facility related costs, like rent, utilities and rates; and (7) provisions for bad debt. Our expenses include certain costs that are charged by a subsidiary of NTL for the provision of network services and support, the use of NTL’s national backbone telephony network for carriage of our telephony traffic, as well as the provision of technical infrastructure and network capacity by NTL for our subscription Internet service and digital cable services, the provision of corporate services, including finance, legal, human resources and facility services, and for the provision of IT services, including our use of the related IT equipment.

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SOUTH HERTFORDSHIRE UNITED KINGDOM FUND, LIMITED
(A LIMITED PARTNERSHIP)
QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30, 2003

We continue to focus on improving our customer service and increasing our service offering to customers in an effort to curtail and control churn. NTL is in the process of integrating its various billing systems and customer databases in an effort to improve one of the main tools it uses to provide customer service. This effort is at a relatively early stage although NTL has continued to make progress through September 30, 2003. Although the new system does not yet support NTL’s full suite of services, NTL expects to complete the project substantially by late 2004. The total project cost is estimated to be approximately £75 million, of which NTL has incurred £46 million through September 30, 2003. If the full integration is not successful, we could experience an adverse effect on our customer service, our churn rate and our share of the costs of maintaining these systems going forward. We could also experience operational failures related to billing and collecting revenue from our customers, which, depending upon on the severity of the failure, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our plan to control churn and to increase average revenue per customer, or ARPU, includes an increase in broadband services to our existing customers. We believe that our triple play offering of telephony, broadband access to the Internet and digital television will continue to prove attractive to our existing customer base, which will result in higher ARPU as revenues per existing customer increase. However, there is still significant competition in our markets, through digital satellite and digital terrestrial television and through alternative Internet access media, such as DSL offered by BT. If in the future we are unable to charge the prices for these services that we anticipate in our business plan in response to competition or if our competition is able to attract our customers, our results of operations will be adversely affected.

Three Months Ended September 30, 2003 and 2002

We present below summarized consolidated financial information for the three months ended September 30:

                                 
    Three months ended    
    September30,   Increase (decrease)
   
 
 <