Telewest has unveiled a 256k cable service to tempt customers who are wary of switching to broadband.

Available in the Spring, the new package is five times faster than standard dial-up. It costs £17.99 a month when taken with another Telewest Broadband service, or £19.99 - just £2 a month more than narrowband services from BT Yahoo! and AOL - and is subject to a 12 month contract.

Telewest already provides services with speeds up to 512k, 1Mb or 2Mb. Chad Raube, director of Internet services at Telewest Broadband, said the company now has a full range of consumer broadband options. He expects demand from "people who have previously considered broadband a big leap from dial-up. And now getting onto the first rung of the broadband ladder will become a no-brainer".

The company offers free installation and one month free access - a saving of £67.99 - to the first 5,000 who pre-register here. ®