From today, BT Openreach is expected to open its 80Mbps Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) network up to other UK ISPs.
Much in the same way that BT has for years provided the copper ADSL backbone for many ISPs, we ought to now see other providers besides BT and Virgin Media jumping on the fibre optic bandwagon.
TalkTalk has stepped up to the fibre plate with an 80Mbps service expected to launch this month and Plusnet is busy trialling an 80Mbps service.
BT’s cable network currently provides speeds of up to 80Mbps downstream and 10Mbps upstream. Following ongoing testing, the top upstream speed available on the BT network ought to jump to 20Mbps from today onwards.
BT Infinity 80Mbps or ‘at least’ 30Mbps
BT Openreach has also implemented a downstream Prioritisation Rate on its network which, “in the event of network congestion,” will see speeds dropping to at least 30Mbps on the new 80Mbps lines. Good to know that we ought to be getting speeds of at least 30Mbps, which ought to hike the national average up a bit.
Over 100,000 new premises are due to get fibred-up by the Spring 2013, which will simultaneously extend the reach of whichever other ISPs sign up for BT’s fibre programme.
BT Openreach aims to make 80Mbps/FTTC broadband available to around two thirds of UK homes and businesses by the end of 2014.
UPDATE: ISP Aquiss has added an 80/20Mbps FTTC broadband package, at £6/month (£5 ex VAT) on top of its normal 40/2 fibre broadband packages, which start at £30/month for home connections and £28/month ex VAT for business.
UPDATE 24/04/2012: Sky and TalkTalk 80Mbps tariffs go live.
UPDATE 25/04/2012: Easynet adds 40Mbps and 80Mbps FTTC connections for business users.
UPDATE 30/04/2012: Zen Broadband announces free double-speed boost for 40Mbps FTTC customers when FTTP launches in May.
UPDATE 12/06/2012: Xilo/Uno adds a range 40Mbps and 80Mbps FTTC packages.
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