Telewest Broadband has announced that trials of the world's first PlayStation 2 broadband network are underway.

The trials, which are at present not open to the public, are set to continue into the new year; though the cable operator does say that a "limited" public trial will be available during the first quarter of 2002.

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe's director of business development, Nainan Shah, said:

"The Telewest PS2 Broadband Service will lead the way in connecting PlayStation 2 consumers on powerful broadband networks. We expect the service to offer a plug-and-play experience for multiplayer gaming, downloading of game demos and other content as well as news and reviews presented in way that PlayStation 2 consumers have not experienced before."

Tom Cotter, head of games at Telewest Broadband, heralded the commencing of trials as ushering in a new age of broadband gaming:

"As we promised at E3, the trials have started before Christmas and we're very excited to be embarking on this project.

"The Telewest Broadband PlayStation 2 network will, for the first time, establish protocols for networked games, making the development of these titles much more straightforward. Telewest Broadband is investing heavily in the PlayStation 2 service; believe me, this will be multiplayer gaming and broadband access integrated like never before."