BT's tests new service to boost broadband speeds

Telecoms giant BT is trialling a new service which could help consumers receive download speeds that are at least 0.5 Mbps faster.

The firm claims that Broadband Accelerator can deliver significant improvements to home internet connections by testing the performance of wiring and PCs.

Taza Mohammedbhai, head of BT Home IT Support, said: "Our research has shown that up to 60 per cent of our customers could benefit from the accelerator service. People could see quite a marked difference in performance, maybe 3 or 4 megs in some cases."

BT will only charge for the service, which is currently only available in the south-east of England, if it achieves the minimum speed upgrade.

Recent research by Strategy Analytics suggests that global demand for broadband services will soar by 50 per cent over the next five years.

The number of broadband subscribers is expected to reach 415 million by the end of 2008 before climbing to 621 million by 2012.