The Carphone Warehouse (Talk Talk, AOL UK etc.) has predicted that its broadband and fixed-line sales will grow by an estimated 45% over the next year. The ISP then went one step further and predicted having a grand total of 3.5 million UK broadband users by 2010.

It's understood that Carphone, which currently has over 2.27 million UK broadband users, will invest up to £15 million on improving its infrastructure over the next 12 months. The plan is to pull more customers away from rivals using its cheaper/simpler unbundled broadband products.

Further expansion is expected to aid Carphone, which hopes to reach 1,650 unbundled (LLU) telephone exchanges by this time next year, covering over 80% of the population. Presently the operator and ISP has closer to 1,000 under its belt:


Unfortunately it wasn't all good news, with the provider expecting it to be at least October before it clears a backlog of 260,000 “free” broadband customers. Much of the blame was pinned on BT and it could take until the very end of 2007 before the problem has been completely cleared.