Bulldog growls at BT with 4Mbps plus voice service

UK broadband provider Bulldog launched a range of services on Monday that combine a high-speed data connection and voice calls in a single package.

Several different tariffs are available - aimed at both business and home users. At present they are only on offer in central London but following its recent acquisition by Cable and Wireless, Bulldog says it is planning an "aggressive rollout plan".

Bulldog's Pro@ctive range (which costs up to £67 per month + VAT) is designed for small office and home office users who need a 4Mbps connection. Calls to local, national, mobile and "popular international destinations" are all free for the first hour of the call.

Bulldog Super@ctive is for home users and costs £52 (including VAT). It provides a 4Mbps internet connection and unlimited calls to UK landlines.

Bulldog Inter@ctive, another domestic service, is £40 per month (including VAT) for 4Mbps broadband internet, plus pay-as-you-go telephone charges.

Bulldog claims the services redefines what consumers can expect from broadband.

"It means you can download music, film or software files faster than ever before. Information is instant. It makes other broadband services feel like dial-up. This is the way the internet is supposed to be," said chief executive Richard Greco in a statement.

But BT doesn’t sound totally convinced.

"For a start, this is only available in central London. It's an offer that may be attractive to some people but won't be to others. Some customers may not want a 4Mbps link," said a BT spokesman. "It will also depend when they make their calls."

Comparisons between Bulldog's new services and other offerings in the market are difficult, as there are few other ADSL services anywhere near as fast on the market.

PlusNet recently launched a 2Mbps ADSL service for £19.99 per month, which is thought to be the cheapest 2Mbps service on the market.

On the voice side, BT offers a range of tariffs. Under its BT Together 1 package, which costs £10.50 per month, customers pay 5.5p for the first hour of every evening and weekend call, and 3p per minute at other times.

Graeme Wearden writes for ZDNet UK.