BT offers surfers fresh unmetered deal

Internet service provider BTinternet has unveiled plans to introduce a new unmetered internet access package at the start of next year.

The service, which will be called BTinternet Anytime, will offer customers unmetered access to the internet 24 hours a day, seven days a week for £14.99 a month with no additional call charges.

BTinternet will roll out the service from January to existing customers and will open it up to new customers "shortly thereafter". Customers can register interest in the service today through the BTinternet homepage (www.btinternet.com) or by calling 0800 328 4991.

The ISP said it currently has 800,000 subscribers, with more than 60 per cent using its current unmetered access product, BTinternet for Surftime, which includes evening and weekend access for £9.99 a month. It claims it is adding new customers at an average rate of 20,000 a day.

The latest launch will coincide with the start of rival ISP Freeserve's similar sounding AnyTime internet call package. Freeserve's AnyTime will be based on BT's wholesale Flat Rate Internet Access Call Origination (Friaco) tariff, and cost users £12.99 a month inclusive of subscription and telephone costs.

BTinternet's Anytime offering, however, will not be based on Friaco until April, when it will be "converted to a new number range based on Friaco", meaning customers will then need to use a BT line.

Many ISPs have said it is impossible to launch a true unmetered service until Friaco is available, but BTinternet said it is confident it can offer customers a quality service.

Stephen Brown, head of marketing at BTinternet, said: "We've been planning this service for a number of months and had expected Friaco to be available sooner.

"We've always had quality in mind and have been very careful to make sure we have had sufficient capacity so that customers can log on at any time."