Wanadoo will not be telling 500 broadband users in Leeds that they are taking part in a local loop unbundling (LLU) trial.

Instead, the ISP formerly known as Freeserve will inform punters that the company is working on a "network upgrade".

Over the next four weeks or so some 500 Wanadoo broadband users in the Leeds area to be migrated to the ISP's LLU service.

However, the ISP will not be telling customers what is happening because of concerns of what might happen should things go wrong. Instead, triallists are to receive an email explaining when their phone and internet service will be offline.

Wanadoo staff have also been instructed not to tell customers about LLU even if questioned directly and instead been urged to tell punters that "essential upgrades" are being done.

Explaining the ISP's secrecy an insider told us: "Wanadoo are aware of the bad press surrounding LLU and Bulldog and do not want customers knowing what is happening because of this."

A spokesman for Wanadoo explained that the average time punters would be without their phone line would be less than 30 minutes, although it's more likely to be five minutes if all goes well.

Asked why Wanadoo was being so secretive, a spokesman told us: "We don't think it's the right thing to do to go into the minutiae of LLU at this stage." ®

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