Games machines go broadband

Games machines in pubs, clubs and other public places are to be fitted with broadband in a £17.5m, three-year deal with BT.

Inspired Broadcast Networks (IBN) is upgrading 3,000 of its machines, currently linked to its main servers via ISDN link, to Asymetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) technology.

And another 18,000 machines - about 25 a day - will be connected to ADSL over a three-year period.

IBN, a division of coin-operated equipment provider Leisure Link, said the deal paves the way for a transformation of the pay-to-play market.

At the moment machines have to be physically swapped between locations when a change of games is needed. IBN said the ADSL connections would allow the company to download updates or change games on the machines overnight.

Self-diagnostics software will also help cut costs. With it many faults, once diagnosed, can be fixed remotely without needing a technician to visit a location or to take the machine away for repair.

Russell Hoyle, chairman of IBN, said in a statement that the partnership with BT would help his company develop a technically advanced infrastructure in a cost-effective way.

"The high-speed BT broadband solution will allow us to expand our digital gaming solutions much more rapidly than would otherwise have been possible," he said.

"And after initial investment, broadband is considerably cheaper than ISDN has been."

BT said the contract demonstrated the wide possibilities of broadband for its business and consumer customers.