Internet Through The TV For The Many, Not Just The Few

ONdigital, the digital TV and interactive platform, will bring the opportunity of net surfing to anyone with a TV this year. Without the need to spend hundreds of pounds on a personal computer, anyone subscribing to ONdigital's service will be able to have full internet access through their TV.

A small module, which will in due course be built into the ONdigital box, will provide internet access through a phone line and allow people to access the full range of internet services. The system automatically converts the pages to make them suitable for viewing on a TV, instead of a PC monitor.

Stuart Prebble, ONdigital's Chief Executive says:

"Tony Blair has set the challenge of bringing the internet to everyone by 2005. We'll meet - and beat - his challenge. We'll do even more. We'll provide the means for the Government to deliver its services through the net, direct to people's homes, by 2005 - if not before. We're already talking to the Government about how to do this, securely and fast.

"However fast the PC market grows, and however fast the cost of connection falls, the cost of buying a PC remains the last great barrier to millions of people. We're going to demolish that barrier by bringing the internet to everyone through their TVs, which are already in virtually every home in the country.

"It will all begin later this year, when we start delivering the internet to our customers. We have rejected the walled garden approach taken by some TV platforms, which limit their customers to a comparative handful of sites. Our system will allow people to shop anywhere on the net, with access to millions of sites. And it will allow people watching interactive TV advertising to click straight to an internet site, rather than just to go to a walled garden site.

"To make it available to all, we need to roll out digital transmitter coverage. The faster we are allowed to do this, the faster we can bring the net to all the people. We'll meet the Prime Minister's challenge. Our challenge to the Government is to give us the tools to do the job."

ONdigital's internet service will complement its existing interactive services, including email through the TV, which launched this month. The cost of the internet service will be announced nearer the time of launch, but will be competitive with other providers.