BT Announce Super Fast Broadband Plans

British Telecom broadband has today announced their plans to connect 10 million homes across the UK to their new fibre-optic network. By replacing the copper wiring that link most homes today, BT will have to spend £1.5bn to create the new super-fast network across the UK over the next four years, which when completed will connect 40% of the UK population.

But, alongside BT’s new network comes fears that they will monopolize the market, causing smaller rivals to lose out in the long term. Even though BT insist they want to bring faster internet services to the majority of the UK, it is also feared the new cabling will create a broadband divide between urban and rural areas.

In the more remote parts of the UK where the fibre optic cable will not reach, ADSL broadband will remain, though BT has said it will be improving the service to the 24Mbps ADSL2+. The quickest ADSL currently available is be broadband at 24Meg and O2 broadband at 20Meg. Virgin Media broadband currently runs on the fibre optic network but can only achieve speeds of 20Meg, though their 50Meg broadband should be available out across the UK within the next year.

BT will begin their cabling by laying fibre directly to new homes as they are built, whilst other sites will have fibre cable all the way to their home.  BT new system should transform consumer’s internet experience, allowing high-definition video over the internet whilst also running other bandwidth-heavy services.

British Telecom’s chief executive, Ian Livingston, said -

‘This is the beginning of a new chapter in British telecommunications history. Broadband has boosted the UK economy and is now an essential part of our customers’ lives. We now want to make a step-change in broadband provision which will offer faster speeds than ever before’

> > click here to check out the Top Ten Broadband providers

Please Note - All Prices Quoted Are Correct at Time of Posting

Comments