With 2002 fast becoming a crucial year for the UK's "broadband revolution", Brighton-based communications company Moving-Edge. net has launched an important initiative.
They have launched a trial to make the city one of the first broadband-enabled business centres in the country.
The company uses the symmetric digital subscriber line (SDSL) standard.
It claims its service is the first to provide unified email, voicemail and faxes accessible from anywhere in the world and video and voice conferencing with the ability to reserve a portion of band width for crucial applications.
Managing director Alex Studd said: "SDSL is a true alternative to existing leased lines for small businesses, unlike assymetric connections which are not always terribly reliable and prone to slowing down."
SDSL is called symmetric because it supports the same data rates for upstream and downstream traffic.
It is particularly useful for supporting internet access for small to medium-sized companies and connecting branch offices with larger corporate networks.
Mr Studd said: "SDSL is designed for people who cannot afford problems because they rely on email and internet to do business."
Karl Robinson, managing director of Brighton-based ISP Mistral Internet, which is working with Moving-Edge.net on the trial, said: "These connections should be attractive to companies which need large upstream capacity, including the creative companies we have so many of in Brighton.
"I am unsure as to whether the business community has fully bought into this idea of broadband just yet but we have found the take-up of assymmetric connections pretty phenomenal."
The Government has widely publicised its objective to have the most competitive and extensive broadband market in any G7 country by 2005 to help spur economic growth.
Digital media market researchers Jupiter MMXI have estimated the number of broadband connections in the UK will triple this year.
But industry analysts and business groups have said the UK is in danger of becoming "the broadband sick man of Europe" because of a failure to force BT to introduce proper competition.
Mr Robinson said: "I am not sure the UK is on course to have its revolution but we are by no means bottom of the pile when it comes to broadband.
"Many people used to say broadband adoption was poor because of high prices. But I do not think this is the case anymore.
"What could harm the development of the market is the lack of viable alternatives to BT."
Mr Robinson's views were echoed by Mr Studd. He said: "I hope this country is on track to meet the targets it has set itself because otherwise we could be left behind the rest of Europe."
Any company or organisation in Brighton and Hove ordering a 2Mbit per second SDSL connection from Moving-Edge.net before January 31 will receive the first three months of the service free of charge. When the trial is completed, users will have the option of continuing with or upgrading the service or returning the broadband router.
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