From today, O2 Home Broadband Access will be available in all UK homes using BT’s wholesale network in areas where the local BT telephone exchange has not been unbundled.

O2 is hoping that its £6 million multi-media marketing strategy will allow it to compete with more established broadband providers, who appear to be losing ground in the highly competitive sector.

A relative newcomer to the field, O2 acquired Be Broadband in 2006 but did not make an immediate impact in the broadband arena. It launched a service last October for those with contract O2 mobile phones and extended the scheme to include some pay-as-you-go customers earlier this year.

The new deal will allow internet users all across the UK to take advantage of its service, which is currently used by more than 100,000 people. O2 is hoping to attract a million broadband customers by 2010.

The company is now also offering business broadband. Its business service will offer small and medium sized firms a download speed of up to 20 megabits per second. The top package, ‘Access’, comes with a wireless router and a range of other benefits including unlimited downloads. Those that are based outside the O2 Local Loop Bundle exchange will be able to receive BT’s eight megabits per second service through O2.

“We launched O2 home broadband six months ago with the intention of providing a quality service that would renew customer confidence in the broadband industry and are pleased to be delivering on this promise,” said Sally Cowdry, marketing director, O2 UK.

“With a great track record behind us, we feel we are in a strong position to go after a larger market share, offering nationwide broadband coverage and a business proposition alongside a proven, excellent service.”

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