UK Online - the broadband ISP owned by LLU operator Easynet - has cranked up the speed of its broadband service to 22 meg.

From today, punters living in urban areas and connected to a BT exchange unbundled by Easynet can now tap into the ISP's ADSL2+ network.

Or as Chris Stening, boss of UK Online puts it: "While some customers will get 22Mb or even more, up to 24Mb, the quality of their phone line and distance from the exchange will dictate their maximum speed. Which is why we give customers a pragmatic estimate of the speed their line will support before they sign up."

The service, based on Easynet's local loop unbundling (LLU) network, costs £29.99 a month. Existing users can upgrade to the higher speed for free, while new punters will have to shell out a £25 connection fee.

In all cases users will have buy an ADSL2+ Wireless Router for £79.99.

Last month Easynet agreed to be bought by Sky for £211m as part of the satellite broadcaster's ambitious plans to invest in broadband. ®

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