NTL ramps up US links for unmetered surge

NTL is ramping up the speed of its internet connections between the UK and the US ahead of an anticipated surge in demand when it launches unmetered access next month.

The cable operator has partnered with US network operator Corecomm to provide a dedicated 100Mbps fast ethernet connection between London and US cities New York and Washington DC.

NTL said dialup and cable modem customers will experience much faster connections with US websites. But unmetered surfers won't see the benefits straight away - the new connection won't be switched on until two weeks after the unmetered launch on 17 April.

"We were faced with a steep market forecast for customer growth. We knew we were going to have to do something dramatic about the US connection - either self build or partner," said Justin Leese, director of data networking at NTL.

As well as faster and more resilient connections, NTL said that the deal would reduce its costs and that it would pass these savings on to customers. The unmetered ntlworld internet service is one example of such a saving, according to Leese. "The only way we can really afford those kind of packages is to make sure that the underlying costs are as low as possible," he said.

While the unmetered service will launch on 17 April, NTL won't have its US connection in place for a further two weeks. During the interim period, NTL will use extra capacity from MCI Worldcom and AUCS. "The extra capacity means you still get very good connections - certainly equivalent to any ISP in the UK. Once the Corecomm connection comes in, it really will be a step change," said Leese.

Ntlworld customers will need to sign up to NTL's phone service. Homes in areas cabled by the operator will get access as part of a cable TV and phone package priced at £9.25 a month.

Other telco customers will need to buy a line adapter for £10 and must spend at least £10 a month on non-internet voice calls. Ntlworld users will not incur a call connection, ISP subscription fee or internet call charges.