PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has warned of the danger of regulators not moving at 'internet speed' to agree a global standard for the sale of financial services on-line.

The lack of a level playing field will stifle the forecast explosion in financial services offered through e-commerce channels, the report suggests. It says that 29.5 million individuals are forecast to be accessing financial services by internet, interactive television and mobile phones by 2004.