Swedish ISP Be has launched the UK's fastest broadband service for home users.

Be Home 24Meg costs £24 per month and offers an uncapped 24MB internet-only connection. It is currently available in London and will be rolled out to 20 other cities over the next year.

Be said that the service will handle two High Definition TV channels and " three or four" standard TV or video-on-demand channels, along with normal surfing and voice calls. However, the ISP admitted that users may not always get a 24MB connection.
The move is expected to shake up the offerings from other operators. UK Online has said that it will launch a 24MB service in October at £30 per month.

Five of the top seven ISPs are still only offering broadband at 2MB at prices from £12 to £25 per month. Average connection speeds are 1MB. Only NTL and Telewest are upgrading their networks to provide services of up to 10MB.

Be said that it will launch a voice over IP telephony service and video on demand sometime in 2006.

"This radically advanced capability will change the way people use their computers, and opens up a world of opportunities as exciting as the advent of the internet itself," said Dana Pressman, managing director at Be.

Subscribers need a BT telephone line connected to an exchange in which Be has installed its equipment, and must pay a £24 connection fee and provide three months notice of cancellation. Potential subscribers can check here to see whether they can receive the Be service.

Chris Stening, general manager at UK Online, said: "We have been pushing the current ADSL technology to its limits since last year with 8MB broadband. Now ADSL2+ will unleash a new wave of broadband innovation for consumers."