BT to rollout super fast broadband
Published: 30 March 2009 By MoneyhighStreet Staff Leave a Comment
BT’s Openreach has announced the roll-out of fibre-based super fast broadband access.
Openreach will initially make this super-fast broadband service available via 29 exchanges across the UK.
Broadband speeds of up to 40Mb/s, and potentially 60Mb/s, will be within reach of some 500,000 homes by April 2010.
The new service is being piloted this summer in Muswell Hill, London and Whitchurch, Wales prior to the wider roll-out.
The new high speed service will mean that multiple, heavy usage applications may be run at the same time. For example members of a family could undertake a combination of watching movies and gaming at the same time.
Broadband though is not just about the download speed. One of the current issues is the much slower broadband upload speed.
With the new technology, this starts to be addressed as upload speeds will be available up to 10Mb/s. This means customers can potentially post videos, take part in HD video conferencing or play online interactive games at the same time.
The initial exchanges are
- Essex – Chelmsford
- Hertfordshire – St Albans, Watford, Hemel Hempstead
- Befordshire – Leagrave, Luton
- London – Canonbury, Chingford, Edmonton, Enfield, Highams Park, Tottenham, Thamesmead, Woolwich
- Greater Manchester – Bury, Didsbury, Failsworth, Heaton Moor, Oldham, Rushole
- Belfast Balmoral – Belfast
- Edinburgh – Dean
- Glasgow – Glasgow Halfway, Glasgow Western
- Cardiff – Cardiff
- Taffs Well – Rhondda Cynon Taf
- West Yorkshire – Halifax, Pudsy, Calder Valley
Chief Executive of Openreach, Steve Robertson, said ‘Super-fast broadband is essential to the UK’s future and so it is great to announce this initial set of locations.’
Openreach will announce in the Autumn the next set of locations to be upgraded which will make the super fast broadband coverage available to a further million homes and businesses.
Whilst Openreach deploy the new technology, it is up to the Communcations Providers, or the Internet Service Providers (ISP’s), to develop services based on it and sell them on to customers.
