Ultrafast broadband coming to UK
It could soon become easier for UK businesses to upgrade their business broadband connections to access ultrafast speeds.
Chief executive of BT Gavin Patterson has announced his company's plan to bring faster internet speeds to the UK as soon as possible.
He stated that this will happen via a widespread deployment of a new technology named G.fast, which will be tested in two pilot locations in the summer.
"BT is a world leader when it comes to fibre innovation and we are excited about the next stage in our story," said Mr Patterson.
He added: "We believe G.fast is the key to unlocking ultrafast speeds and we are prepared to upgrade large parts of our network should the pilots prove successful."
Mr Patterson pointed out that the UK is ahead of most of Europe on broadband but has to make sure it embraces new technology if it is to stay in front of the chasing pack. The BT chief executive added that upgrading to ultrafast broadband could also mean that the UK is able to match leading nations such as South Korea and Japan on broadband speeds in the near future.
He said: "We need to stay ahead as customer demands evolve. G.fast will allow us to do that by building on the investment we have made in fibre to date. It will transform the UK broadband landscape from superfast to ultrafast in the quickest possible timeframe."
Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire and Gosforth, Newcastle, have been selected for the two G.fast pilot schemes, which will give 4,000 homes and businesses the chance to access ultrafast broadband connections for the first time.
If the project is a success then even faster broadband speeds, of up to 1Gbps, may eventually become available more widely to a substantial minority of homes and businesses.
As a result of the way BT is regulated, these faster speeds won't just be available from BT directly, but also from other ISPs, such as hSo.
While G.fast looks promising, its wide deployment is several years away. Businesses that need more bandwidth in the interim can opt for a leased line. These can already provide speeds of up to 1Gbps across the vast majority of the UK.
(Image: Kainet)
