Broadband customers with BT will no longer have to pay to phone the customer service helpline from a landline, the company has announced.

Although many of the BT help numbers are already free, it is reported that over seven million calls are made to technical lines which are chargeable.

The company has spoken of its intention to make 99 per cent of its helplines free by the beginning of April 1st, with the prefix of numbers changing to 0800 or 0808.

Consumer managing director at BT Gavin Patterson said: "We call on the rest of the industry to follow our lead. There really is no excuse for companies whose prices are either sky-high or verging on the ridiculous."

When releasing figures for call costs throughout the industry, it was shown by BT that a 17-minute call to a daytime technical helpline cost from £1.08 for Sky and TalkTalk to £4.35 for calls to Virgin Media.

BT has announced that it is launching an award to encourage communities to get online, which will involve specially-trained advisors delivering ICT sessions to their local communities.

Friday, 22nd February 2008

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