Topic: BT sets date for faster broadband

[Clive]

BT has confirmed it is launching a faster high-speed internet service after trials proved successful.

About 50 net providers have signed-up so they can offer a 1Mbps service from 20 November, it said.

More than 80% of the UK can get ADSL broadband, but some will miss out on the faster service because they live too far away from phone exchanges.

Cable firms like NTL and Telewest already offer a 1Mbps connection, but they reach only 40% of the population.

Speedy service

The six-week trials which started in October showed there was a "strong consumer demand" for the faster ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) service, said BT Wholesale's director of products Bruce Stanford.

The 1Mbps is not "rate-adaptive" though, which means people living more than four kilometres from their telephone exchange which has been ADSL-enabled will not be able to get the service at that speed.

Well over a million now have access to high-speed ADSL net access of 512Kbps, which is about 10 times faster than dial-up access.

But there are still areas, particularly outside town and cities that do not have access to ADSL-enabled telephone exchanges offering this kind of connection.

Service providers will be charged a £50 connection fee, or a £35 upgrade fee for existing subscribers to be able to offer their customers the service.

Monthly subscription charges are also likely to be slightly higher.


I'm ready, willing and able.  

 

[Simon]

There is also a 'strong customer demand' for bog standard broadband.  Wouldn't it be better if they put their resources towards getting broadband enabled countrywide, rather than rubbing the noses of the poor buggers who can't get it, in it?

[Clive]

That's very true Simon, but the reason people can't get BB is because they live too far from their exchange.  If the technology is there to double the speed at virtually no cost to BT then I think they should implement it.  I do think however that the government should ensure that every person in the country has access to BB.  Can you imagine if electricity, phones or post were not available in remote areas?

[Robotochan]

The beggers gave my village and another village connected to the 1 exchange a trigger level of 500  > Could they not have just got an average of all the costs and made every trigger level 300 or something?  >

[Clive]

Didn't they reduce the trigger levels a few months ago Robo?  You may find that it's less now.

[greenking]

Consider yourself lucky Robo......the rotten B*****ds havent even set a trigger level for my exchange yet  >

And now those that already have BB are told they may be getting even faster speeds  

Wheres my MP  > The useless git should be doing something about this  :curse:

[DJ]

Come on guys get a local campaign going. I set one up in my area and had enough people pre-registered in 2 months.

If you want broadband, you'll have to work for it.  

DJ