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BT is increasing copper speeds in the UK
CUMBERSOME TELECOM FIRM BT has revealed its intention to increase the availability of fast copper based broadband.
BT said that it will extend the availability of fast copper services starting next year, and claimed that will see it increase coverage to about 90 per cent of the UK population.
Its activities next Spring will see the firm increase the availability of its faster speed services to 2.5 million more premises, it explained, and will take its current potential customer base up to around 22.5 million locations.
Typically BT uses the phrase 'rural areas' and it hopes to gain attention there. In its statements it said that over half of all the exchanges that are due for an upgrade are located in rural areas.
"This is a significant expansion of our roll out plan and is further proof of our commitment to serve rural areas," said Alex Pannell, director of product management at BT Wholesale. "The faster speeds will support the government's aim of enhancing broadband speeds for both town and countryside."
As BT rolls out these faster services it will retire some of its slower offerings. For example, IPstream, which offers speeds up to 8Mbits/s, likely will cease to exist by early 2014. µ
Tags: Internet
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Looking at BT's press releases, it looks like this is the extension of 21CN - allowing ADSL 2+ - to more exchanges in Scotland, Wales and south-west England.
Scotland:
CARNOUSTIE
COLINTON
CUPAR LODGE
DAVIDSON’S MAINS
DENNY
DUNBLANE
DUNBAR
FAIRMILEHEAD
KELSO
LIVINGSTON BRIDGE
NORTH BERWICK
PENICUIK
PITLOCHRY
ST ANDREWS
ELLON
FORRES
KEMNAY
TAIN
THURSO
ARDROSSAN
BRIDGE OF WEIR
WISHAW CAMBUSNETHAN
DALBEATTIE
GLENBOIG
LESMAHAGOW
MAUCHLINE
PROVANMILL
ROTHESAY
STRATHAVEN
WEMYSS BAY
WISHAW
Wales:
AMMANFORD
BLACKWOOD
CAERLEON
CRICKHOWELL
CARMARTHEN
GLYNNEATH
GORSEINON
LLANELLI
LLANTWIT MAJOR
MAYALS
RADYR
USK
BANGOR
CAERNARFON
HOLYHEAD
KNIGHTON
LLANDUDNO
PWLHELI
South-west England:
MORETON-IN-MARSH (Glos)
BOURTON-ON-THE-WATER (Glos)
CORSHAM (Wilts)
GLASTONBURY (Somst)
HIGHWORTH TE (Wilts)
MARLBOROUGH (Wilts)
NAILSEA TE (Somst)
STOW-ON-THE-WOLD (Glos)
TIMSBURY (Somst)
WARMINSTER (Wilts)
WELLS (Somst)
WROUGHTON (Wilts)
WINCHCOMBE (Glos)
AMESBURY (Wilts)
BEAMINSTER (Dorset)
CANFORD CLIFFS (Dorset)
DURRINGTON WALLS (Wilts)
LYTCHETT MINSTER (Dorset)
SWANAGE (Dorset)
TIDWORTH (Wilts)
VERWOOD (Dorset)
WARMWELL (Dorset)
BRAUNTON (Devon)
BOVEY TRACEY (Devon)
BUDLEIGH SALTERTON (Devon)
CAMELFORD (Cornwall)
MINEHEAD (Somst)
NANPEAN (Cornwall)
NETHER STOWEY (Somst)
OKEHAMPTON (Devon)
ST AGNES (Isles of Scilly)
ST DAY (Cornwall)
STENALEES (Cornwall)
ST TUDY (Cornwall)
TEIGNMOUTH (Devon)
WIVELISCOMBE (Somst)
While ADSL 2+ allows 'up to' 24 Mbps, it depends on the length and performance of your line to the exchange. I'm less than 200m from my phone exchange and 'only' get 20 Mbps. There's little speed benefit if the length is over 3.5km/you currently get less than 4 Mbps on ADSL Max.
ADSL 2+ should be available from any ISP that resells BT wholesale broadband services, which has a Point-of-Presence in the appropriate Core node. You will have to ask your ISP for a migration - some ISPs may migrate automatically (Demon did when my exchange was enabled). You also need a new router if yours can't do ADSL 2+.
As ever, your actual download and upload speeds will depend on the capacity that your ISP rents from BT, the capacity they have in the Internet exchange points, any point-to-point links of their own, and the capabilities of the site you're using.
I work in Birmingham 'B8' Postcode - About 4 miles from Birmingham B1 city centre postcode. Our broadband is 2mb and has been for the last 5 years.
they seriously need to pull the finger out.
I live 8 miles further out in Birmingham B24 postcode and have 50mb from Virgin media. Do the math...
So their plans for rural areas are absolute crap as they cant even put a decent speed 4 miles outside the city centre of the countries 2nd biggest city.
But how much faster and which exchanges? Are they planning to upgrade exchanges that aren't even adsl2 yet?