Callnet0800 victim of own success

The UK's first completely free ISP has been a victim of its overnight success.

Callnet0800, as the name suggests, offers Internet access via a freephone 0800 number. The company is basing its business plan on customers signing up for its discount phone service. By dialling the prefix '145' customers can save 30 per cent on local, national, international and mobile calls, compared to BT's standard rate.

It is also looking to generate revenue from premium rate support hotlines and Web advertising.

Callnet0800 said it was looking to sign up around 200,000 consumers by Christmas and had the capacity to deal with more. The call centre which answers queries and processes applications has not been able to keep up with demand.

Callnet is now asking potential customers to email their interest in the service by sending their name and day and evening telephone numbers so that an operator can call back with registration details.

Anyone calling Callnet today in the hope of registering over the telephone were told that due to demand they would have to call back.