AOL this week announced a free modem offer for AOL Broadband - signifying a saving of »95* over the standard retail price for all new customers. This means that AOL Broadband now has no upfront costs at all, underscoring AOL's commitment to drive the take-up of genuinely high-speed online services in the UK. It means that new AOL Broadband members can get a high-speed connection, as well as AOL's exclusive package of content - such as 2 4/7 video streams to the Big Brother house and exclusive previews of new music videos, sessions and tracks - email, Instant Messenger, virus scanning and community tools, for the all-inclusive monthly fee of $27.99.

David Carr, vice president of broadband at AOL UK, said: "Our latest research shows that any upfront costs are a major barrier to moving to broadband, so we have decided to remove them entirely. AOL Broadband is one of the lower cost high-speed services available and only AOL also includes an exciting exclusive content package, communication and community tools and free customer service, all at no extra charge." Unlike some service providers, AOL also does not charge a migration fee when new customers move from another broadband supplier.