Telewest Boosts Broadband Speeds For Free
Telewest Broadband has announced an early Christmas present for its customers, by boosting their connection speeds without charging any more or imposing monthly usage limits.
The move follows recent research by NOP which showed that customers have a preference for unlimited internet services, leading Telewest to pledge to keep its services free of usage caps, allowing customers to surf into the new year with peace of mind and a faster connection.
The bandwidth upgrades will be rolled-out from December and Telewest claims they will be completed by January 2005, stepping up the pressure on slower internet providers to enhance their offering to consumers across the board.
Telewest’s existing 750Kb, 1.5Mb and 3Mb blueyonder internet customers will receive the faster access speeds automatically, with no need for new equipment with those currently subscribing to its fastest 3Mb package given a new, ultra-fast 4Mb service. The new flagship service is the fastest available outside of London and allows large files, such as digital photos, to be sent up to 50 per cent faster.
The overhaul will also give 1.5Mb customers a boost, upgrading them to a 2Mb connection while the company’s standard service will increase in speed from 750Kb to 1Mb and for the same cost of £25 per month. The new pricing structure will deliver benefits to all but the company’s entry-level customers, whose 256Kb service will remain unchanged and is currently on offer for £14.99 per month for the first 12 months.
Commenting on the speed increases, Eric Tveter, president and chief operating officer at Telewest Broadband, said: “This will be the second time this year we have increased the speed of our blueyonder broadband services, doubling the original bandwidth with no increased costs and no introduction of caps.”
He added: “This isn’t a short-term offer and there are no catches – we’re simply giving broadband users what they want, thanks to our advanced cable network. Christmas is a time for giving, so anyone fed up with Scrooge-like behaviour from their ISP knows where to come for faster, unlimited internet access.”
The move follows price cuts from Telewest last month which saw it attempting to entice its last remaining dial-up customers to switch to high-speed connections with broadband at the same price as dial-up.
The new package gave customers little choice but to upgrade their connection, offering Telewest’s 256k blueyonder internet service for £14.99 per month, the same price as unlimited dial-up services from Tiscali and Wanadoo and cheaper than dial-up from AOL and BT (see Telewest Offers Budget Broadband To Dialup Die Hards).
Telewest: 0845 142 0000 www.telewest.co.ukRecent New Media Stories from NewsLine WAP Still Popular As Autumn Rears Its Head Associated New Media Creates Dedicated Research Arm UK Broadband Usage To Double In Six Months
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