Computer users will be able to enjoy higher speed Internet for the same price after Bermuda's Internet service providers (ISPs) went head to head with the launch of their latest 3meg and 4meg services.

North Rock Communications introduced the first 3meg residential broadband service to the Island at the end of last month at a price of $99.95 per month and followed that up with its 4meg service at the start of November, costing $129.95 per month.

Logic Communications followed suit with the launch of its 3meg premium service 10 days after North Rock, which will see existing 2meg customers automatically upgraded to 3meg at no extra cost, with its 4meg service coming out the same day as their competitor's. Both cost the same at $99.95 and $129.95 per month respectively.

The 4meg service is now the fastest Internet connection speed available in Bermuda, but the installation of the undersea Challenger cable linking Bermuda to the US is expected to offer faster and cheaper telecommunications for residents and businesses when it is completed early next year.

Vicki Coelho, general manager of North Rock, said that the response to the new services had been steady, with most customers wanting lower speed broadband.

"We are thrilled to be able to provide high speed to the Bermuda market," she said.

Paul Coleman, vice-president of marketing at Logic, said the increased speed offerings came about as a result of a complete review of the company starting in March 2007.

"The thought was that Logic and some of the other players in the market place are all quite similar and we asked ourselves 'What is the reason for customers to choose Logic over any other company?' and what we really needed to do was to understand what our customers wanted better," he said.

"It started with the desire to really serve our customers and serve them better."

He said Logic focused on serving customers face-to-face in its retail store in Burnaby Street and understanding their needs, complaints and what they thought the company was doing well to formulate a number of ideas about what it was doing wrong and right and what needed to be fixed.

The company split its customer base into several different groups and held a series of focus groups to come up with solutions to the problems, said Mr. Coleman.

"There were three main points to come out of that, including customers wanting a better service in terms of being more personalised and faster and they want us to be distinguished from other companies," he said.

"Secondly it became clear that the customers did not just buy Internet from us and that we had to fit in as a part of a bigger system, and finally the amount of reliance on the Internet and how we meet those needs is changing."

Mr. Coleman said Logic introduced numerous deals such as new online line sign-ups, redesigning its retail store, adding more and better trained staff and more service points, and winter shopping in December, as well as a 'detective service' which services computers or computer related-products and selling more hardware, including computers and routers tested on its network and cameras and televisions that can stream videos over the Internet. The 3meg and 4meg services are the latest in a line of offerings the company was launching, he said.

"Logic has a long history of taking care of our customers by upgrading them with no extra cost," he said.

"Our upgrade promise means that if you sign up for premium or ultimate Internet service you will always get that level of service from us. As things change we will increase the speed and keep the pricing forever."