Welcome Broadband Rollout Roundup, Recombu Digital’s weekly summary of faster broadband arrivals and announcements in the UK.
BT upgrades fibre network for up-to-80Mbps connections
It’s likely to be a slow road from potential to reality, though, with only BT Infinity launching a upgraded service, though TalkTalk is expecting it will upgrade this month.
Sky launched its up-to-40Mbps fibre broadband this week, but said it has no plans for 80Mbps so far, while BE Broadband said it won’t have fibre across all of its network in 2012.
Superfast fibre broadband for 42,400 homes in West Yorks, County Durham and south Wales
Another of BT’s Race for Infinity superfast village competiion winners has been wired up for digital, along with homes in County Durham and south Wales.
More than 3,000 homes and businesses in Burley in Wharfedale, West Yorkshire, can now order super-fast broadband after BT Openreach completed upgrading their village.
It’s one of 10 UK communities which is getting an upgrade to a mix of fibre-to-the-cabinet and fibre-to-the-premises after the population demanded an upgrade en masse.
FTTC will deliver ‘superfast’ up-to-76Mbps, while FTTP can deliver more than 100Mbps ‘ultrafast’ broadband.
Harvey Bosomworth, chair of the community-led iBurley campaign, said: “It is very exciting to think that after all our campaigning the day has finally arrived.
“We have been discussing the project with BT staff over the past year and are pleased that BT has put so much investment into bringing super-fast to 98 per cent of Burley.”
In County Durham, 18,400 homes and businesses in Ferryhill, Crook and Fencehouses can get FTTP or FTTC, bringing the local total to 55,400 premises.
BT Openreach expects to add a further 47,600 homes and businesses in County Durham later this year.
Alan Napier, deputy leader of Durham County Council and portfolio holder for resources, said: “We are delighted with this latest announcement which brings our aim of super-fast broadband for every resident of the County a significant step closer.”
In south Wales, superfast broadband is now available to the first homes and businesses in Maesglas, and the Malpas and Bettws areas of Newport and Blackwood.
The new rollout covers 21,000 homes and businesses, bringing the fibre broadband total for Wales to 220,000, with another 250,000 premises to be added later this year.
A spokesperson for Newport City Council , said: “The introduction of superfast broadband will open up new opportunities for SME businesses in the city and help them grow effectively. It will also help us to attract new businesses into Newport.
“We are a smart and connected city and this announcement serves to highlight this and that we are ready for the next phase in the city’s regeneration.”
Once BT Openreach completes the network upgrades, the new speeds are made available, wholesale, to all broadband providers.
Up-to-20Mbps faster broadband live for North-East, Cheshire, Yorkshire and Northumberland communities
BT Openreach has been busy with its exchange upgrades, moving 90,250 homes and businesses in reach of ADSL2+ speeds.
The upgrades mean that ISPs operating out of these exchanges will now be able to upgrade their customers for up-to-20Mbps broadband.
The upgrades cover:
- 23,400 homes and businesses in the North East in Meadowfield, New Brancepeth, Amble and Ebchester and Coxhoe, with Beamish, Ferryhill, Shildon, Trimdon, Corbridge, Skelton and Dunston coming later this year.
- 40,400 homes and businesses in Yorkshire and Humber at Adwick-le-Street, Darton, Kiveton, Gilberdyke, Calder Valley, Barton on Humber, Boroughbridge and Catterick Camp, with Dinnington to be added later this year.
- 27,300 homes and businesses in Cheshire in Bollington, Culcheth, Frodsham, Hartford and Sandiway.
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