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BT cranks Infinity 1 top speed up to 52Mbps

BT has stolen a march on rivals Sky and TalkTalk by boosting the top download speed of its Infinity 1 FTTC products up from 38Mbps to 52Mbps. 

This is now the standard top speed you’ll be able to get from a BT Infinity 1 package, meaning buyers have the potential to enjoy HD and Ultra HD streams while others at home are free to use the web without slowdown. 

The entry-level FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) deal from BT now sees you getting a much faster service for £10/month (plus £17.99/month line rental) albeit with a 25GB data cap. Unlimited up to 52Mbps Infinity 1 with can be yours for just £20/month plus line rental. 

As well as boosting people’s download speeds in general, the new faster package will in theory see more people able to sign up for BT Sport Ultra HD

Related: BT’s superfast broadband footprint swells to cover 25m premisesBT might not be the only ISP offering up to 52Mbps FTTC for long; this is a new product that’s available for all ISPs to order from Openreach, so we could see the likes of Sky, TalkTalk, Zen, Plusnet, EE and other providers using BT’s network arm boost speeds soon. 

The increase in headline speed will be more greatly felt in homes that are closer to street cabinets. As the so-called ‘last mile’ of an FTTC connection uses an old copper connection, top speeds decrease the further away a customer is from the cabinet, much like how the top speeds possible on an ADSL line depend on how close you are to your telephone exchange. 

Theoretically, the top speeds possible on BT’s three FTTC products is 40Mbps, 55Mbps and 80Mbps. Due to regulations, ISPs are only allowed to advertise the top speed if at least 10 per cent of customers can get them. 

BT has yet to comment when or even if it will launch a product that will raise the top speeds possible with an Infinity 2 service, which is currently advertised at 76Mbps. 

Update: A BT spokesperson told Recombu: “There are no current plans to uplift the speeds on Infinity 2.”

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