Telecommunications Minister Renee Webb said she did not expect a deal could be reached with CableVision to stop the company axing service today.

But she said an agreement could be just around the corner and hoped the company would put customers first and keep the service beyond the five-day cooling off period.

On Friday CableVision won the court battle to end its cable TV service and blacked out screens for two hours before agreeing to a five-day hiatus, which ends today.

But Ms Webb said: “I am hoping common sense will prevail, we'll finish the service level contract and that will be the end of it.”

She said the company and Ministry officials had been hammering out a service level agreement yesterday as Government seeks to ensure customers get a better deal.

Yesterday a company spokesman had no comment to make.

Ms Webb said she would be surprised an agreement was reached today - but added: “I do think we are getting close. There's stuff that needs to be corrected from their perspective.

“The process is pretty easy. There's no tension. We have been working on it since September 5.”

She said the final agreement would be better for the public and better for CableVision.

“They had agreed to a process but they weren't getting it done.”

“I don't expect them to shut down. We gave them a one-year licence. They say they don't accept it but they never sent it back.

“As far as I am concerned they should not have turned it off in the first place. Nor should they turn it off tomorrow. But I didn't expect them to turn it off the first time. We thought they might.”

Earlier this month Government had to get an injunction to stop CableVision axing service in anger at only being given a one-year licence after its original 15-year deal expired.

The company was told to keep the service running for a month but a later hearing found in its favour.

Ms Webb said: “When that first injunction was lifted we still didn't think service would be shut down but it was. I can't predict that company.”

And Ms Webb said competition was on the horizon with two TV companies applying to run a cheap satellite alternative to CableVision.

The decision to grant one or both a licence is in the hands of the Telecommunications Commission said Ms Webb.

“It could make a difference in the way CableVision behaves. Competition would definitely be good.”