ISP Be Broadband has privately hinted to its customers that the providers long awaited 44Mbps (download) bonded broadband service could launch sometime this month. The service, which bonds/links two ADSL2+ (up to 24Mbps) based unbundled ( LLU ) broadband lines together, will also offer a peak upload rate of 5Mbps and cost around £50 to £55 per month.

It's certainly been a long wait since September 2008, when Be Broadband began its first closed trials of the costly service (here). At present the final package details remain undecided, although a total connection fee of £85 is likely to be charged.

The premium service, which could in the future be pushed to a top speed of 48Mbps (we doubt anybody outside of the ISP itself would receive that), will initially only be offered to customers of BE's Pro package and is to be delivered in very small volumes.

The service itself is expensive because it not only requires two broadband ADSL2+ connections but also two telephone lines. Worse still is that the above pricing doesn't include the cost of those lines, which customers will need to buy for themselves.

We've always been a fan of line bonding, although with BT about to make 40 - 100Mbps speed single line fibre optic ( FTTH , FTTC ) solutions available and Virgin Media already offering 50Mbps for £38 per month (£39 with a virgin phone line), BE may be about to lose its niche.

It’s worth pointing out that many other ISPs can also offer bonded solutions, although you usually have to contact them directly to ask for it. Likewise BT’s new service has yet to gain any real coverage, so the market gap is still there in many areas but it won’t be around forever.