Londoners will be able to get wireless superfast broadband in their home or office just by plugging a small box into the wall and accessing the 4G phone network.
UK Broadband claims its new service, called Relish, is a first for London and will save hundreds of pounds for customers as they do not need a fixed landline and there are no installation costs with the “plug and play” box.
Customers who sign up online will be sent the box for free if they commit to a year’s contract at £20 a month or they can buy the box upfront for £50 and pay £20 a month on a rolling basis.
UK Broadband, which is owned by Chinese telecom group PCCW Group, said its wireless service is significantly cheaper than fixed-line broadband from existing operators such as BT and Virgin Media.
Relish claims to offer “fibre-fast” speeds up of 65Mbps – better than standard home broadband – that will allow people to stream TV shows easily or download a 30-minute show in 60 seconds.
Will Harnden, marketing director of UK Broadband, insisted the 4G signal was strong across most of the capital but admitted some buildings and areas could suffer weak coverage.
“Customers will be able to put their postcode into our ‘coverage checker’ on our website and it will them what we anticipate the speed will be,” said Harnden.
Relish is offering a 14-day money-back guarantee for customers are unhappy with the service.
He added: “Current operators aren’t providing the level of service that customers in London want. It’s about not having long contracts and not having to have a landline.”
