BT cuts broadband fees for 2004

BT will cut some wholesale broadband prices in the New Year to stimulate the demand for high-speed internet access.

From 12 January until 30 April 2004 the set-up fee that ISPs pay BT will drop from £50 to £25 excluding VAT. It is up to ISPs whether they pass this saving on to new customers.

The offer covers BT DataStream Office 500K, 1M and 2M.

BT also plans to reduce the wholesale cost of the upgrading from a 512kbps broadband connection to 1mbps from £35 to £25 excluding VAT during the offer period. Again ISPs must decide whether to pass this saving on.

Bruce Stanford, BT Wholesale products director, said: "The offer on BT IPStream speed upgrades will help move more end users to higher value, higher speed broadband options."

According to BT its demand driven broadband rollout programme has provided more than 85 per cent of UK home users and businesses, with an ADSL connection.

Last month, BT claimed that 100 per cent broadband coverage of every UK community would be achievable by 2005 if the government and industry pull together.

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