Communications service provider (CSP) Biscit today announces that it is making significant progress in upgrading the quality of V21's networks with new servers, and is well on target to completing the overhaul of V21's entire network backbone by the end of the month. Biscit completed the acquisition of V21 (www.v21.co.uk) earlier this month.

Biscit also advises that it has acquired the intellectual property of a billing module from NJP Services enabling it to automate direct debits.

Other updates today include the restoration of services to some 800 customers who parties external to V21 migrated to an ISP called Fast4 at around the time that Biscit completed the acquisition of V21. All have since been returned to V21's networks. Customers who changed their email and Internet settings as a result of a mailing from Fast4 need only reset their original V21 settings to regain service.

Biscit has also cancelled the services of an Indian call centre, which provided front line technical support to V21's customers at 50p a minute. Customers can now call Biscit's London-based customer support teams on the new dedicated 0871 433 3129 number. Calls cost just 10p per minute.

"We're focused on delivering Biscit-quality service to V21 customers in the shortest timeframe," says Hugh Paterson, Biscit's and V21's CEO. "Unfortunately, we're not in the business of providing instant pancake mix, and we thank V21 customers for their patience."

Biscit's phone and voice bundles that compete directly with Carphone Warehouse's Talk Talk offering are now available to V21 customers from V21's websites, as are Biscit's superfast broadband-only packages. There are no minimum contract terms for any new Biscit or V21 broadband customer.