PCCW launches UK wireless broadband

£18-a-month service

UK Broadband - the wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong telecoms giant PCCW - has finally launched its wireless broadband service in the UK. The Netvigator service is to be made available in the Thames Valley first, in Aldershot, Maidenhead, Reading, Slough, Windsor and Wokingham.

UK Broadband is to announce plans to roll out the service in the UK and Northern Ireland once the initial launch of Netvigator has been completed. Its 512k service costs £18, while the 1Mb service costs £28 a month and there don't appear to be any up-front charges.

However, a "customer-requested home service visit fee" could set back punters £50 depending on the nature of the call-out. A replacement modem costs £75.

Said UK Broadband chief exec Mike Butcher: "This is truly revolutionary as it allows customers to install their broadband service within minutes and offers dedicated service with very high speed access.

"Many people have been reluctant to switch to broadband through the fixed telephone lines because of the cost, delays in getting connected and the frustration with dealing with multiple service providers. Netvigator is different. It is simple to install, and since it is wireless, you don't need an engineer to visit your home."

UK Broadband acquired 13 of the 15 3.4GHz licenses auctioned in the UK last year to enable wireless broadband services. It later snapped up the remaining two licences to give them national coverage. ®

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