BT Openreach has announced plans to launch a 110 Mbps fibre-to-the premises (FTTP) service from next spring. At the same time it will commence a 300 Mbps service that the company claims is three times as fast as that offered by other major broadband networks.
While the speeds can be interpreted as being three times the DOCSIS-3 powered 100 Mbps service offered by Virgin Media, a 200 Mbps is already in the planning.
BT says the speeds will be available on a wholesale basis and support a competitive retail market.
Approval has also been given for a near doubling of fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) broadband speeds, which will increase from to 40Mbps to up to 80Mbps. £2.5 billion is being invested in the project that will extend fibre broadband to two thirds of UK homes by 2015. Virgin Media currently covers a little over half of the UK.
“Today is a significant step in the UK’s broadband journey. These developments will transform broadband speeds across the country and propel the UK up the broadband league tables.”
Six locations; Ashford in Middlesex, Bradwell Abbey in Milton Keynes, Highams Park in North London, Chester South, St Austell and York will be switched on in October. The fastest speed combinations being made available this month are 110/15 and 100/30 with 300 Mbps appearing next spring.
BT is also involved in a 1 Gbps trial in Kesgrave, Suffolk.
