BT is selling a new appliance which it claims will give home workers improved broadband performance and a more stable connection.

Broadband speed and connection can be disrupted by electrical interference in homes caused by televisions, lighting and home wiring, the telco said.

BT claimed that its new I-Plate filter, which can be self-installed, will guard against such disruptions and will be particularly useful in supporting high-bandwidth applications such as TV and video.

The device will allow faster downloads and better quality streaming, according to the firm.

"Most consumers are unaware of the impact that faulty TVs, fluorescent lighting and home wiring can have on their broadband performance," said Cameron Rejali, managing director of products and services at BT Wholesale.

"The I-Plate can help solve this, depending on the level of electrical interference within the home, delivering faster speeds, greater stability and bringing high-quality IPTV to more consumers."

BT tested the filters on 36,000 lines and claimed that the average broadband speed increase was 1.5Mbps.

Higher speeds were not identified in every case owing to varying levels of electrical interference, but in other tests speed improvements were as much as 4Mbps, according to BT.

BT said that the I-Plate can also extend the reach of broadband service by around 10dB.

The I-Plate needs to be fitted to a home's master socket, and BT said that customers should have a BT NTE 5 master socket and extension wiring in their home. This is identified by the horizontal split in the face plate and the BT logo.

Customers should ask their communication provider for the product, although BT warned that some may not have the devices in stock immediately.