iPlate/Broadband Accelerator now free for BT customers

I first wrote about the BT iPlate (now renamed Broadband Accelerator) back in September 2008, and the blog post still gets thousands of hits per month from people desperately trying to eke more Mbits/sec out of their ADSL connections.

In case you’ve never heard of it, the Broadband Accelerator effectively cancels out potential interference from the now redundant bell wire, and can improve the speed of your connection by as much as 60% in our limited tests. It’ll only work on connections where the router is running off extension wiring, and even then it won’t work for everyone (indeed, some people have reported a drop in speed). And, yes, if you’re handy with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers, you can achieve much the same effect by removing the BT socket faceplate and snipping the bell wire yourself.

However, as PC Pro blog reader ‘weeds season 4’ (don’t ask, just nod politely) pointed out this week, it’s probably not even worth the hassle if you’re a BT Total Broadband customer, as the company’s now giving away the easy-to-fit devices for free, bar £1.20 postage and packing. You can order one from the BT Broadband Accelerator website.

Let’s hope other ISPs follow suit.