Competition for customers is starting to cut the cost of connecting up to broadband internet services.

Cable firm Telewest has announced a self-install package for its Blueyonder broadband service that costs only �12.50.

The self-install pack does away with the need to buy a separate cable modem as it uses a television set-top box as the connecting point for the high-speed service.

Eventually Telewest said it will provide wireless links to make it easy to link up home computers with its network.

Fast forward

Many of the set-top boxes that people use to watch cable TV have a modem inside that can be used to connect up to the high-speed services offered by Telewest and NTL.

Telewest's self-install package does away with the need for a visit by one of the company's engineers and lets existing customers swiftly switch on a broadband service.

Currently Telewest offers two broadband services. By itself the 512kbps service costs �29.99, but customers of other Telewest services get it for �25 a month.

The higher speed 1mbps service is �39.99 for broadband only and �35 per month when combined with other Telewest services.

Before now both have needed a visit by technicians to wire up homes and get domestic computers authorised to use to Telewest network.

Telewest's network currently passes 4.9 million homes and it currently has 1.76 million households as customers.

Cable firm NTL already offers a broadband service via its set-top boxes.

Existing customers will be able to get the service working quickly though new customers will still require a visit to connect them up. The installation fee costs up to �50.

The numbers of people signing up for high-speed services via phone lines leapt when BT made a self-install package available.

The self-install package uses wires to link set top box with the computers in customers' home, but eventually Telewest said it will provide wireless connectors to make installation even easier.