BT Boosts Broadband Speeds Across Britain

Telecoms giant BT is to roll out vastly increased broadband speeds to wholesale customers across the country, raising the stable speed of individual lines to a maximum of 8 Megabits per second.

The speed boost follows successful trials, with BT upgrading more than 5,300 local telephone exchanges, supporting 99.6% of the UK’s homes and businesses, to provide the higher bandwidth.

The new arrangements will mean maximum speed of 8 megabits is possible, although not every line will be suitable, for a variety of reasons.

BT estimates that 78% of phone lines should support broadband at line rates of 4 megabits and above, with 6 megabit and above available to more than 42% of customers. Those living or working close to their local telephone exchange are most likely to achieve speeds of 8 megabits, the company explained.

Welcoming the speed boost, BT Wholesale chief executive Paul Reynolds said: “Thanks to BT’s continued investment in the broadband network, the UK now boasts the highest level of broadband availability in the G8. We’re now building on those efforts in becoming the first operator in the UK to commit to a national service which is capable of broadband speeds of up to 8Mbit/s.

“Our approach in getting the most out of ADSL technology means we get higher speeds to a national footprint as quickly as possible – making sure the opportunities are not just restricted to the urban centres, nor those service providers who operate their own networks. It also provides service providers with the biggest potential market for applications and services demanding higher speeds.”

Faster broadband speeds will be available to service providers for new orders from 31 March, although BT expects the process of upgrading its existing customer base to take several months.

BT: 0207 469 2337 www.btplc.com