BT offers twice its current internet speed in 2011
Every internet service company seems to be offering faster speed, but BT is way ahead with its plan to provide 24Mb by year 2011. This will mean almost doubling its current ADSL+2 service reach to over 75% of homes and businesses in the United Kingdom.
This recent announcement from BT was most welcome considering it will make the download time of music just a few seconds, and TV programs just a few minutes. The company currently provides 8Mb speed to most of its subscribers, with variations in certain regions due to phone exchange line and proximity.
Having the BT ADSL+2 in any telephone exchange will mean that more people could avail of faster connections, and at the same time increase speeds in slow lines.
On the other hand, BT is also undertaking building of an ultimate-speed broadband network using fiber optic technology projected to serve up to 40Mb per second. This service is aimed to be operational in 2012 and serve over 40% of households.
In related reports, cable network provider Virgin Media which serves over half of the country with 50Mb per second, is feeling pressure from the government. The latter has expressed plans that it hopes will allow more users to benefit from superfast connections, and has proposed 50 pence monthly tax on all phone lines in the United Kingdom.
Treasury minister Stephen Timms who lead the Digital Britain plan did comment that the proposed tax will help raise the funds to augment the roll-out of speedier broadband networks to rural communities. Though the public perceives this legislative plan out-of-timing with the next election so close, Timms said the tax will surely be passed by parliament before that period.
The government also committed to have 2Mb per second speed provided to all homes by 2012.
For related details, click here: The Guardian
Dedicated BT Broadband Outlets to be opened soon
All people who are looking for very fast broadband connections will be able to walk in to a BT shop and shown a demo on the range of services available before they make up their mind on which service to avail of.
2 new stores will be opened exclusively for customers to visit so that they will be able to view demos of the newest broadband services that are on the BT products list. This was revealed in some plans that had been released by BT recently.
The main aim of this service is to give the public an idea of the very – fast broadband services that BT has to offer as well as to give them a chance to ask them about the advantages of the services, thereby enabling them to clear any doubts that they may have.
Whitchurch, near to Cardiff, will see the opening of the first such outlet. Muswell Hill, Hampshire, will be host to the second outlet. This information was obtained from the consumer electronics news and reviews website, T3.
The inspiration behind the opening of these two outlets is to give a good idea to potential customers of the benefits of BT broadband services and also to improve the relationship between BT and potential customers, according to Matthew Dearden, BT Retail’s marketing director.
Mr Dearden continued by saying that the showcase will reveal the people in the area all about super – fast broadband and that they would be able to see how the variety of home as well as business applications will enhance their standard of living.
The opening of future outlets will depend on the success of these 2 outlets. BT also announced plans to bring the total number of Wi-Fi hotspots to 1 million after they revealed the presence of 500,000 hotspots.
BT to increase number of Wi-Fi hotspots to 1 million
BT plans to increase the number of WiFi hotspots two – fold that it has in the UK to about 1 million within the next 6 months as it looks to tap into the increase in demand for mobile internet.
BT has already gone past the 500,000 number, which is a landmark which took BT nearly 7 years to get past. However, with the number of customers wanting to access fast internet from their mobile phones increasing, the telcos is seeking to increase the stakes when creating new WiFi networks.
The actual revolution is the mobile phone, according to the wireless broadband director of BT Retail, Dave Hughes. People are OK with using their mobile phones to update their status on social networks or to check their emails, which isn’t the actual case with laptops.
He added that while 3G networks will have proper coverage for most users, there is an increasing demand for high speed broadband.
BT expects the massive increase in the size of their coverage to speed up the usage of their network. The extremely profitable WiFi division of Vodafone has doubled their traffic by a minimum of two – fold every year, Hughes added, and he also said that the network has the potential to further grow.
BT has hotspots in a number of public places by way of the Openzone network as well as in 12 city centres like the Westminister part of London which have public WiFi networks installed. The company has recently got a contract provide WiFi hotspots in all Starbucks coffee shops despite the competition from T-Mobile, which had clinched the contract previously.
They also operate a community – based WiFi services by way of the FON network and it is this segment of their business that most of the growth is set to occur. WiFi is functioning as a very integral retention tool for customers for their BT broadband business as the access to Openzone networks is also part of bundled minutes. Casual WiFi users can access their networks for 15 pence per minute.
Source - Times Online
Fixed line broadband for businesses now offered by O2 and BT
In their individual pursuits to render reliable and affordable communications link, 02 and BT Wholesale recently signed a new deal for five years. This deal involved delivering a fixed-line and business broadband services to areas within and beyond that they are currently serving.
With this new agreement which was received positively by consumers, BT will underpin the entry of 02 into the market of business communications. This will mean that 02 will be responsible for designing and managing a loyal portal and service management center. It also means that 02 will undertake all operations aspect involved in business communications.
The joined-up package from 02 should be more helpful to business pursuits in marketing and sales as it is deemed a unified solution for all business telecom demands. This will mean that mobile connection, fixed line, data and broadband will be brought forth to customers as one package. For consumers, this mean ease in billings and payments, while for both BT and 02, it means that they are saving from administrative and operational expense.
Ronan Dunne, CEO of 02 in the United Kingdom sees the partnership positively, particularly for the consumers of both BT and their company. He said that working with BT Wholesale opened doors of opportunity for their company to give their business clients a reliable end-to-end service with their varied connections now served as one.
Dunne also added that alongside the package will be the unique consultancy that 02 have been known to provide its consumers. “We see this deal as an exciting prospect for 02 to widen its range of products for our consumers in the business sector.
On the other hand, BT Wholesale announced recently its partnership with Vodafone. Soon, Vodafone will also offer fixed-line communications to the UK business sector.
More details regarding this post could be found at top10-broadband.co.uk
BT broadband services to be more flexible
BT announced the introduction of a new service which will utilise next – generation technology which will give customer a newer way of communicating with others and accessing the internet and hoped that it would be popular with all of its existing and potential customers.
BT also revealed that their 21st century network (21CN) technology as well as a sole backhaul link will be used to provide broadband service providers in the country with a higher variety of options.
This innovative system could result in less costs for consumers as operating it is cheaper for operators regardless of the fact that it is the best available. The system is to be known as Wholesale Broadband Managed Connect (WBMC) over IPstream.
A number of companies which were mulling possibly making use of 24 Mbps fibre – optics and copper phone lines would be able to utilise this service, Sian Baldwin, the director of BT broadband said.
After the high level of work carried about by BT, the new product that BT have come up with is definitely something that will benefit the users no doubt, said the sales and marketing director at Griffin Internet.
He also said that this IPstream Connect services is a better way to have an inter-connection with the IP backbone of BT Wholesale and that WBMC will bring about a much better speed for business – grade ADSL to all sizes of businesses, medium and small likewise.
BT is of the hope that, by spring 2010, the use of 21CN equipment will be made possible to at least 55% of internet users in the UK
The goal of 1 million Wi-Fi hotspots in city centres, shops, homes, business and a number of other locations is halfway through completion (500,000 hotspots being currently available), according to an announcement made by BT last month.
BT confirms fibre optic roll-out in January 2010
In pursuit of serving more households and businesses even in rural areas, BT announced with finality that it will launch its fibre optic broadband in January of 2010. It aims to serve 1.5 million homes and businesses in the United Kingdom after six months of its launch.
The first commercial rollout of the BT Company’s advanced fibre-optic broadband was announced by its managing director, Bill Murphy. In the same interview with CBR, Murphy further elaborated that the 40Mb plus fibre-to-the-cabinet broadband internet service is part of their continuing expansion to areas with slow connections or without any connections just yet.
Further, the BT official stated that such a move will complement the growth of its high-speed ADSL2+ services which will bring speed of up to 20Mb to over half of the United Kingdom’s population.
BT sees a positive outcome of their plans for early next year, particularly on the rolling out of the fibre-optic broadband connection, saying that like any successful network, they are keen on offering a service which is highly competitive, reliable and speedier connectivity.
Murphy said that what BT currently provide has been found sufficient, particularly the speed, but more and more consumers are clamoring for even added speed. This is why BT is offering newer, faster solutions through the fibre-optic broadband connection.
On the other hand, BT also just recently piloted the Broadband Enabling Technology called BET in parts of Inverness and Dingwall in Scotland. This move came in response to having their broadband services delivered over long distances. The company targets the same piloting of the BET in other parts of the United Kingdom as well. This plan is to realize the need to provide broadband services to rural areas located about 12 kilometers from a local telephone line exchange.
More details regarding this post could be found at top10-broadband.co.uk
BT brings rural areas faster broadband connection
UK homes without broadband service yet will now benefit from the new piloted BT technology. The Broadband Enabling Technology (BET) provides up to 2 Mbps for homes, eliminating the struggles for slow internet speed of dial-up.
In sync with the government’s commitment to provide broadband to UK homes by 2012, over 3 million households belonging to the “notspots” will surely get connections with BET.
This development came after a successful trial of the same technology in Scotland carried out by Openreach, the BT arm in the country. For the said trial period, a wider coverage was served to the once notspots in the rural Scotland towns. Homes in the area are now served with speedier broadband connection. The same trial will be conducted in eight more locations which will include West Midlands, West Sussex, Norfolk and Berkshire.
Soon, homes outside of the 12-kilometer area distance from telephone services in the area will get broadband service, decreasing largely the number of notspots in the region.
John Small, Openreach managing director for service delivery, echoed foreseen positive outcome of getting more notspots connected. He said the company is working out details with different area authorities to effectively implement the technology.
Forrester analyst Ian Fogg expressed his view on BET, saying it is an evolution, not a panacea that offers modest download speeds.
Despite the seemingly bright future to have notspots finally have broadband service, some groups and individuals remain skeptical about the BT move. Cumbria resident and advocate for improved broadband, Lindsey Annison, said that broadband is not the problem and it’s impractical to bring such advanced communications to rural areas.
Other groups expressed the same sentiments that a telephone company with sufficient experience should not be providing such a solution. It is unclear, however, what alternative positions these groups and individual users demand.
