NTL to launch UK's fastest broadband

As the battle for broadband Britain hots up, NTL have announced that they will be launching the country's fastest ever residential internet service next week.

From Monday, NTL digital customers will be able to lease a 1Mb line - up to 20 times faster than a normal 56k telephone dial-up - for £49.99 per month.

Broadband is earmarked as the future of internet use, allowing increasingly fast downloads including music and movies. NTL hope that their digital lines will help them increase their market share of broadband customers.

"This is the Ferrari of fast internet access," said Stephen Carter, Managing Director of NTL. "It is simply the best internet service now available to homes in the UK."

The move comes as service providers begin to battle for high-end residential users - BT last week announced that they would be slashing their broadband prices to £30 per month.