Rumours abound of a BT broadband price cut

Will they, won't they? The suspense is killing us...

BT has announced that its wholesale ADSL prices are under review - but the telco has been quick to quash consumer hopes of an imminent cut. Speaking at BT Wholesale's Broadband Customer Forum in London, Bruce Stanford - director of wholesale products at BT - told the assembled audience that the company is reviewing prices of its wholesale broadband products. This remark has led some of those present at the event - attended by representatives from government bodies as well as ISPs - to believe that wholesale prices could soon fall. Such a move would give a welcome boost to Britain's broadband market, especially as BT Wholesale's successful offer of a half-price activation fee is drawing to a close. BT, though, has played down suggestions that it might be close to chopping its wholesale broadband prices, and insisted that Stanford was not flagging up anything more than normal business practice. A BT Wholesale spokesman said: "Our prices are under review all the time. When that on-going process produces results that we can act on then we do so." BT slashed its wholesale ADSL prices back in spring 2002 - giving a major boost to the take-up of high-speed Internet services in the UK. A repeat of this move would help BT to hit its target of one million ADSL customers by this summer, and also aid the government to achieve its aim of making the UK the most extensive and competitive broadband market in the G7 by 2005.