BT doubles business broadband speeds

BT has promised to double digital subscriber line (DSL) connection speeds and improve service levels for its Business Broadband Network customers - at no extra cost.

Customers paying £65 per month for the telco's 512Kbps service will be upgraded to 1Mbps for the same price, while those on the 1Mbps service paying £100 per month will automatically be upgraded 2Mbps.

Rather than receiving a bandwidth upgrade, existing 2Mbps customers will see their line rental reduced by £30 a month to £100.

As part of the upgrade, customers will also be given a service level guarantee and advanced helpdesk support.

The 1Mbps service will effectively become the entry-level standard. Companies unable access this bandwidth, however, will have to sign up to the 512Kbps service.

The upgrades will be performed automatically during October, November and December, said the telco.

"Doubling bandwidth while not increasing price is part of our continuing drive to give our business customers the tools they need to really harness broadband, giving them a clear advantage over competitors," said Duncan Ingram, managing director of broadband and internet services at BT Retail, in a statement.

Further information will be available at www.bt.com/business/broadband from 1 October.