Freedom2Surf hooks up to LLU broadband

Easynet signs up another wholesale punter

By Tim Richardson • Get more from this author

Posted in Telecoms, 26th April 2005 11:39 GMT

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Easynet has signed up another ISP to take its unbundled wholesale broadband service.

In December, Easynet unveiled LLUStream - a wholesale broadband service that the telco claims is between 30-35 per cent cheaper than BT.

Using its own kit installed in BT exchanges via a process called local loop unbundling (LLU), Easynet offers operators the chance to provide unbundled services direct to end users using the LLUStream product.

Middlesbrough-based ISP Onyx was the first to sign up to the service and now independent outfit Freedom2Surf has been named as Easynet's second customer.

And there are "others in the pipeline" apparently, although it seems some ISPs have been too shy to go public on their tie-up with Easynet.

Speaking at the company's AGM today chairman Keith Todd said: "We have had a positive response to our LLUStream wholesale product from the industry and are pleased to announce that we have secured a contract today to provide LLUStream to Freedom2surf...having signed up several smaller ISP's for the service already."

A spokeswoman for the telco declined to say which other ISPs had signed up but insisted that Easynet had contacted around 100 service providers so far to punt the wholesale alternative to BT.

Of course, the big snag is that Easynet's unbundled service is not available nationwide and is limited primarily to densely populated areas.

Addressing shareholders today Todd also told them that Easynet has also been trialling a "24Mbs service on our local loops and expect to launch this during the second half of the year".

Regarding financials, he said the company was "on target...to turn cash flow positive by the end of June this year and to turn EBIT (earnings before interest and tax) positive by the end of December 2005". ®