NTL trials PAYG broadband

'Tech trial, not a consumer proposition trial'

By Tim Richardson • Get more from this author

Posted in Telecoms, 26th February 2004 10:16 GMT

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NTL is reportedly trialling new pay-as-you-go broadband services that could lead to punters paying for how much bandwidth they use, rather how long they spend online.

The cableco is trialling PAYG and pre-pay services in Guildford, according to the NTL-focused site nthellworld.co.uk.

The site also reports that the cableco is trialling "turbo" speed services too, enabling punters to increase the speed of their service when they need it.

A spokesman for the cableco confirmed that a number of trials were underway but declined to give any more detail.

Instead, he told The Register that it was just a "technology trial, an infrastructure trial, not a consumer proposition trial".

Earlier this month NTL sent letters to some customers warning them not to over-use their broadband services.

The cableco blamed a "small number of broadband customers who are continually uploading and downloading extremely large files" for causing a "detrimental effect on [its] network".

Unless punters stick to its 1GB a day cap NTL warned that it would "impose restrictions". ®