BT unveils unmetered net for small firms

BT Internet has announced an unmetered internet service for small businesses which includes a package for evenings and weekends, when the telco says home workers do most of their surfing.

BT Internet's service launches in June and is based on the BT Surftime wholesale tariffs announced by parent company BT earlier this year. The two unmetered tariffs both add a £12 monthly charge to the already announced BT Surftime charges.

There are three options:

• Pay as you go - £5.28 a month, and 1p a minute off peak and 2p a minute peak
• Unmetered access at weekends and evenings - £12 a month subscription and £5.99 a month Surftime fee
• Unmetered access all day everyday - £12 a month subscription and £12 a month Surftime fee.

All prices exclude VAT.

BT said its research has shown that more than half the time spent online by home office users is at weekends or during the evening.

The tariffs are being aimed at the 50 per cent of the UK's 1.4 million small business that are not currently online.

This is the first indication of the fees ISPs will add to the BT Surftime rates. The £12-a-month fee could still be too much for some small businesses.

More Surftime-related announcements are expected from other ISPs, including BT Internet's consumer division, during the next few weeks before the launch of Surftime on 1 June.