Faster broadband with BT's I-Plate

BT has unveiled a new device that it claims can boost the speed of your broadband connection by up to 1.5Mbps.

Called the I-Plate, the equipment works by filtering interference created by TVs, lights and other electrical devices in the home.

According to BT, trials of the I-Plate found that filtered broadband lines showed a typical speed increase of up to 1.5Mbps, with some lines showing speed improvements of 4Mbps. It said the I-Plate can also improve the stability of a broadband connection.

Cameron Rejali at BT Wholesale, said: "Most consumers are unaware of the impact that faulty TVs, fluorescent lighting and home wiring can have on their broadband performance. The I-Plate can help solve this, depending on the level of electrical interference within the home, delivering faster speeds, greater stability and bringing high-quality IPTV to more consumers."

The I-Plate (the 'I' in I-Plate stands for interstitial, which means 'in-between'), is a self-install filter which needs to be fitted in between the front and back plate of the BT NTE 5 master telephone socket. Around nine million households have this type of master socket and home wiring – identified by the horizontal split in the face plate and BT logo. The I-Plate gets rid of the bell wire that was used to make old telephones ring.

ISPs will buy the I-Plate from BT Wholesale, with the cost depending on the volume of units ordered. It's up to the ISP to decide whether to pass the cost on to consumers. One website is currently selling the I-Plate for £12.69.

Michael Phillips, product director at ConsumerChoices.co.uk, commented: "The iPlate is simple to install, taking only around 10 minutes to fit, and without that bell wire you could find yourself with a faster, more reliable broadband connection.”

"However, we would advise customers to check with their ISP before they install this, different LLU technologies could conflict with this solution."

Earlier this year, BT launched a home IT help service that claims to boost your internet speed by at least 0.5Mbps. Called Broadband Accelerator, the £90 service looks at improving your home wiring and your PC's performance to address slow net speeds.

www.bt.com