ISPs speak out over BT pay-as-you-surf service

The Internet Service Providers Association (ISPA) has confirmed it has written to Oftel, calling for an investigation into BT's pay-as-you-surf Internet service.

David Kennedy, chief executive of ISPA, said there are several problems with the BT service, called Click, which is on trial in Northern Ireland before a nationwide roll out in September. He said Click could threaten the long-term existence of some ISPs. "It will be damaging for the industry, bad for competition, and therefore bad for consumers," he said.

He also highlighted concerns over accountability, a subject that also worries the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF). Users won't actually have to 'log on', he said, so there is room for illegal activities to be carried out over the Internet which can only be traced to telephone numbers, not ISP accounts.

ISPA is also worried about BT cross-subsidising the service - which would be in breach of its licence - and providing a bundled service which others could not offer.

Another criticism from ISPA concerns IT support. Kennedy said: "Customer support is very expensive, and it's difficult to see how it can be built into BT's Click service, especially with regard to new and infrequent users. We could even lose new-comers to the Internet."

A BT spokesman said: "We're waiting to see what Oftel has to say, but we don't believe BT Click is in any way unfair."

Oftel said any investigation into the BT service would be "routine". Oftel and ISPA are believed to be meeting to discuss the complaint on Thursday.