BT and Virgin will soon face increased competition in the London broadband market, with UK Broadband set to launch its first new wireless broadband service in the capital.
The company, owned by Hong Kong-based telecoms giant PCCW, has announced it will launch both 4G and fixed-line services in London under a new consumer-facing brand called Relish.
The services are targeted at Londoners looking for hassle-free installation of fibre broadband speeds, as Relish promises installation without worrying over delays, landlines or engineer visits.
The company says its broadband services can be installed with a ‘Plug and play’ simple set-up, and best of all, customers don’t need to take a phone line, saving them money from expensive long-term contracts.
The new networks will use national radio spectrum previously acquired by the company to deliver super-fast broadband services to businesses and consumers using both fixed infrastructure and LTE mobile technology. Initial connection speeds will be around 30Mbps, and won’t be slowed down by the usual data limits or evening slowdowns, the company says.
Relish will initially offer four products, targeting the company’s four core markets: Home Broadband, Business Broadband, Mobile Broadband (Pocket Hub) and Dedicated Business Internet.
Home, Business and Mobile services promise next business day delivery and installation from time of order, while the Dedicated Business Internet service (similar to a leased line) is provided within 10 days. The services are currently available across London for customers to sign up to now, with a 14-day trial period in case you aren’t happy.
UK Broadband already provides services in some parts of London and three other UK cities, but is now looking to expand its reach to target parts of the capital which have been overlooked by the likes of BT and Virgin Media.
Nicholas James, CEO UK Broadband, said: "Central London is home to some of the world’s most talented and busy people, who have to suffer long delays in getting their broadband service set up and pay a ‘landline tax’ for a service they often don’t need.
"Relish wants to give Londoners the broadband they deserve – and will shake up the market with a fair and transparent service that meets the digital demands of modern Londoners."
The company also says it has a roaming agreement in place with an as-yet-unnamed partner.
Figures released by the government in November show that the investment made by the UK in superfast broadband is expected to add around £6.3bn per year to the country’s economy as well as create 20,000 jobs by 2024.
