Internet provider AOL is the latest British internet service provider (ISP) to double the speed of its broadband products without charging online customers more. The following six months will see the company rolling out the upgrade to its 750,000(ish) UK broadband users.
The increase of speed in the online technology coincides with AOL UK’s new distribution deal with the Dixons Group. This will see the ISP’s broadband sign-up CDs hitting the shelves in 1,000 PC Worlds, Currys, Dixons and The Link stores from Valentines Day, 14 February, replacing Wanadoo UK.
As part of the Dixons Group broadband roll out, AOL is also launching a wireless home networking package with hardware manufacture Netgear.
Commenting on the deal, Karen Thomson AOL UK chief executive said: “”The success of our partnership with Dixons Group has strongly benefited our dial-up business in the last 12 months. We’re confident that our broadband services will perform just as well in-store and the launch of our Home Networking package paves the way to the digital home for even more consumers.
Last month, broadband internet and on-demand TV provider, HomeChoice, announced upgrades to customers’ broadband connections across the board, making its services more competitive in the light of recent on-demand TV launches by rivals Telewest and ntl.
From the first of this month, HomeChoice parent company, Video Networks Ltd, upgraded all three tiers of its broadband internet services, giving customers a speed boost at no extra cost. The new HomeChoice internet speeds allow 512Kb customers a connection of up to 1Mb, 1Mb customers will have an increase up to 2Mb and 2Mb customers will have a connection up to 4Mb.
Last week, cable and wireless owned broadband provider, Bulldog, announced the introduction of the first pay as you go 4 Megabits per second broadband plus service, allowing users to pay only for the times they spend online.
The two new services, Start@ctive and Call@ctive have uncapped downloads of up to 4 meg, nearly 80 times faster than a dial-up connection.
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