Eircom says it can now offer broadband anywhere in the State, following the launch of a new satellite-based service.

The range includes products for both home- and business users, starting at a monthly rental of €39.99. Eircom is linking with Mediasatellite Ireland, a Cork company, to provide the new service.

The move is aimed at approximately 200,000 customers who do not have access to the main DSL broadband service. It follows a promotion announced by Eircom earlier this week to encourage the take-up of its traditional broadband products and a cut in the price of the fees it charges rivals to offer a repackaged version of its broadband service. UTV Internet and Esat BT are also offering promotions.

Satellite broadband will suit customers who are currently unable to avail of DSL broadband, according to Mr David McRedmond, Eircom's commercial director.

These would mainly be people who are in remote areas or are too far from a local exchange.

Eircom is offering a range of three satellite-based products to home users. While monthly rental starts at €30, the customer also needs a flat-rate internet access product from Eircom, costing between €9.99 and €29.99 per month. The connection fee for home users for the satellite service is €423, which covers the installation of a dish.

There are six products in the range for business customers. Monthly rental starts at €127.03. The connection fee for business starts at between €1,892 and goes as high as €8,108 for the most advanced service aimed at larger users. Download speeds vary from 512k to 4 megabits, depending on which service is used and upload speeds are from 128k to 1 megabit.

Mediasatellite Ireland, Eircom's partner in the venture, was established in January 1999 and has a supply agreement with Astra to supply it with satellite bandwidth and broadband interactive services.