Rumours are that Pipex are up for sale, although the company deny this is the case.

According to a report in today's Times newspaper, Pipex, which is the fifth largest ISP in the UK, is likely to be bought out. Names being touted as potential buyers are BT, Sky and the Carphone Warehouse, the latter two maybe after Pipex's experience after their troubled entry into the broadband market.

Pipex has 560,000 broadband customers in the UK and is thought to be worth around £400 million.

The article names BT, Sky and the Carphone Warehouse as potential buyers for the business, which is reckoned to be worth about £400m. Pipex has some  and could become a kingmaker in the battle for dominance of the DSL market.

Pipex itself is not strange to the idea of taking over ISPs as they have acquired Freedom2Surf, Bulldog, Toucan and Nildram over the years.