BT and Bulldog in DSL powwow

DSL specialist Bulldog, which in the past has been one of BT's fiercest critics, has done a deal with the telecoms giant to trial a high-speed net access service.

BT and Bulldog will begin the trial of Bulldog's SDSL (symmetric digital subscriber line) product in London in the late autumn.

The trial SDSL service will offer SME (small and medium sized enterprise) customers a combination of multiple voice channels and IP connectivity over a single copper pair.

The trial, planned for late autumn, will involve initially around 30 SMEs in Bulldog's central London coverage area, which encompasses 41 exchanges. If successful, the companies hope to have more than 500 customers signed up by the end of March 2004.

Pierre Danon, chief executive of BT Retail, said it would have taken BT up to 18 months to develop the SDSL product itself.

It will be aimed at design and media firms that need to upload as well as download large amounts of data.

Danon said in a statement: "While this trial is about reaching a specific segment of our customer base in the initial phase, ultimately this is about meeting customer needs UK-wide and ensuring that, through a robust trial of these new technologies and accompanying service, we tailor our approaches to closely meet individual requirements."

He added: "ADSL will continue to be the best solution for many businesses. However, some who have data-heavy communications will benefit from the high speed a SDSL-based service can offer."

Bulldog CEO, Richard Greco, said: "Through our partnership with BT, we are delighted to be able to offer UK service providers a wider range of broadband services. Bulldog's expertise in the SDSL market, tied together with BT Wholesale's market reach and Retail's customer base, will fuel demand."