The day of the door-to-door salesman is not over. A US-based company is about to send an army of sales representatives to knock on doors, selling phone and internet services.

Christina Gold, chief executive of Excel, is a former Avon lady. She is convinced that the bulk of the British public has chosen to remain with BT because of confusion caused by the barrage of leaflets and cold calls from rivals.

Excel, which was recently taken over by the Canadian telecom group BCE, will trade in Britain as ETI, to avoid confusion with about 300 UK companies called Excel.

It is buying capacity from Energis, the telecom group that strings its backbone network over the National Grid's electricity pylons, and is outsourcing its back office work to an IBM-run call centre in Swindon.

Its sales force comprises independent representatives who recruit customers, frequently friends, family and neighbours, and take not only a recruitment bonus but also a share of the telecom revenue generated. They also recruit other people to go out and sell.

ETI has signed up 300 representatives and expects to have about 4,000 on the books by Christmas. The initial recruitment drive is being conducted by about 250 Excel representatives who have come from North America

The sales package promises competitive local call rates, a 25% saving over BT's standard rates for national calls and a 70% saving for international calls. In the second quarter of next year it plans to offer a £100 set-top box providing internet access through the television sets.