Carphone unveils broadband strategy

UK mobile retailer and telecom service firm Carphone Warehouse unveiled an aggressive plan to offer free broadband Internet to consumers who would subscribe to its fixed-line voice packages, a Dow Jones report said.

The report said the anticipated move kicked off a fresh round of price competition in the UK broadband sector with NTL and British Sky Broadcasting Group also set to offer consumers a variety of bundled services to win market share.

'When we say free, we mean free forever. All you have to do is give us your voice calls,' Carphone finance director Roger Taylor was quoted by Dow Jones as saying.

Carphone said it would charge 9.99 pounds a month for fixed-line voice calls and the price would include broadband Internet with speeds of up to 8Mbps. An additional line rental charge of 11 pounds a month would also be payable, the report said.

The service would immediately be made available to customers in areas covered by Carphone's unbundled exchanges, the report said.