Broadband users get faster connection speeds

BROADBAND internet users can look forward to faster connection speeds at no extra cost from next month, after Eircom announced a major upgrade plan yesterday.

The company said it would double the connection speed of its basic broadband offering, from 512 kilobytes per second to 1 megabyte, with effect from April 8.

All existing broadband customers will be upgraded automatically. The news is also good for users of rival services that depend on a phone line for connection, such as Esat BT or UTV, which will also be able to offer the faster speeds thanks to Eircom’s move.

Esat BT responded quickly to the announcement and said it, too, would offer faster connections from April without increasing prices.

But operators who rely on alternative technology will come under pressure to match the improved standard broadband offering. These include cable TV operator NTL, which uses its own network to pipe a signal to users, and wireless broadband providers such as Irish Broadband.

Most operators are already capable of providing both 512 kilobyte and 1 megabyte services but tend to charge more for higher speeds. The change will also close the gap on Smart Telecom, which pledged to shake up the market with its recent launch of a 2 megabyte offering at similar prices to the existing 512 kilobyte services.

Eircom commercialdirector David McRedmond said the move pushed Ireland up the European broadband table and gave Irish customers one of the fastest entry-level rates available from a national telecoms provider.

“This decision is the latest step forward in a process to make broadband increasingly attractive to new customers, while offering even greater value to existing customers,” he said.

Eircom had even better news for users of higher-quality business broadband services. The speed of the starter business service will be four times faster at 2 megabytes from next month, while the 1 megabyte service will be upgraded to 3 megabytes.