NTL has sent letters to some customers warning them not to over-use their broadband services.

The cableco is blaming a "small number of broadband customers who are continually uploading and downloading extremely large files" for causing a "detrimental effect on [its] network".

It went on: "Please, for the sake of all our broadband customers, reduce the downstream bandwidth utilised through your cable modem to no more than 1GB per day. We would hate to have to impose restrictions on you but we are determined to offer all our broadband customers the best possible service."

A spokesman for the cableco said these were just the same "standard letters" that had been sent out before warning punters to go steady.

But a spokesman for the Anti-Cap campaign group, which was set up last year after NTL imposed its 1GB a day cap, disagrees.

"This is the first time we are aware of any letters being sent out. If these letters had been sent out in any number at all in the past we would have heard about it," he said.

NTL caused an outcry when it introduced the 1GB a day rule. At the time, execs explained: "Our objective is only to limit very frequent or persistent heavy network use that can impact other customers." ®