Newbie ISP offers PAYG broadband

Slams 'Jack of all trades'

By Tim Richardson • Get more from this author

Posted in Telecoms, 26th July 2004 10:15 GMT

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New-kid-on-the-block ISP Lixxus has unveiled a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) broadband package which charges customers based on how much they use their service.

Charges range from a few pence to fractions of pennies per Mb, depending on how much the service is used. The important thing for subscribers is that the cost of the service is capped at £25 (ex VAT) per month, so there should be no danger of running up a frightening bill.

Customers must also pay the £70 installation cost and fund the purchase of their own broadband hardware.

In a dig at the competition, Lixxus boss Joe Kelly said: "Too many ISPs have become Jacks of all trades and have ended up masters of none, offering a variety of services and yet not giving the consumer what they need reliable service at a competitive price.

"Lixxus wants to specialise in broadband and do what we do best, which is offering just that. Too many companies are let down by hollow promises."

Lixxus isn't the only ISP to offer PAYG products. In May, Bucks-based ISP Nildram added new "pay-as-you-go" broadband products to its existing stable of ADSL offerings in a bid to cash in on demand for entry-level services. Its "dslSurf500" product costs from £19.49 a month and comes in two flavours, based either on the amount of data used or time spent online.

And three weeks ago El Reg revealed that BT is trialling a PAYG service that costs 5p a minute. BT Wholesale has recruited 50 people from within the company to take part in an eight-week trial due to begin in August. ®