BT starts Web subscriptions for games, music

LONDON: BT Openworld, the retail Internet division of BT Group, Plc., said on

Friday it would start trials for online games and music subscription services to

entice its customers to pay for higher speed access.

Analysts say the telecoms company, having split with its mobile division

earlier this month, will be looking to such media to improve margins for its

residential fixed telephony business.

Ben Andradi, president and chief operating officer of Openworld, said it was

signing up around 3,000 customers every week to its broadband Internet product,

which costs 40 pounds ($57) a month compared with 15 pounds for unmetered access

at normal dial-up speed. "We want to be known for our content,"

Andradi said in an interview. "We're very focused on driving broadband,

leading the charge in broadband content."

Openworld has 1.6 million customers, but this includes just 62,000 business

and residential broadband users. Britain, with relatively cheap narrowband

connections, has proven to be a broadband laggard in general. Both the new BT

services will be available to narrowband and broadband customers, but speed will

prove a noticeable advantage, for more sophisticated games in particular.

The games service, costing 9.99 pounds a month, will allow gamers to play

each other at games they already own. The music service, for 7.99 pounds a

month, streams classical music and allows users to download 10 tracks a month.

Users of other Internet service providers, including the 170,000 broadband cable

subscribers with NTL and Telewest, will also be able to take the services.

(C) Reuters Limited.