Lord Mandelson has claimed that illegal downloaders could lose their internet connections in 2011.
The government has claimed that regular filesharers could be cut off from the internet from July 2011.
Speaking at the C&binet digital creative industries conference, business secretary Lord Mandelson said filesharing levels will be monitored until April 2011 - and if they have not fallen, measures to cut off connections will come into force three months later.
However, he stressed that the step will only be used to tackle persistent offenders.
"We will put in place a fair, thorough process, involving clear warnings to people suspected of unlawful filesharing, with technical measures such as account suspension only used as a very last resort," Lord Mandelson explained.
At the conference, he also claimed that one in 20 songs which are downloaded in the UK are lawful.
Earlier this month, Reverend and the Makers frontman Jon McClure told the Sun that there are more pressing concerns in the world for musicians and politicians to deal with than illegal downloading.
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