AOL launches broadband offering

AOL UK has finally joined the broadband revolution with a DSL offering priced at £34.99 a month.

The offering is still more expensive than the £29.99 monthly levy charged by other major ISPs for a similar self-install broadband service, and more than the £25 charged by a handful of smaller operators.

AOL is hoping that its marketing and value-added features will make the service worth the extra fiver a month.

A spokeswoman told silicon.com: "We're a mass-market brand. We have never been the cheapest and we never will be. We are looking to make broadband easy for people."

AOL is offering child protection features, free customer support, and access to some of parent company AOL Time Warner's content.

Until 15 July it is also offering a cut-price modem for £25 in a bid to lure new customers. Thereafter the price rises to £85.

AOL broadband will initially be marketed to the 1.7m existing AOL users, who are the most likely customers for the new product.