BT looks at ultra-fast broadband

BT, the UK telecommunications group, is considering the case for an
ultra-fast broadband network that could deliver internet download speeds of
up to 50 megabits per second.

Sir Christopher Bland, the BT chairman who stands down in September, said
the company was looking at whether to install fibre optic cable as far as
the street kerb, where BT phone line cabinets are found.

The roll-out of fibre relatively close to homes and businesses could deliver
maximum broadband download speeds of 40-50mbps, according to BT.

This compares with the existing upper limit of 8mbps that is available from
most telecoms companies.

Investors are nervous about BT making any commitment to an ultra-fast
broadband network because of the likely capital expenditure involved. Some
analysts have estimated the cost at £4bn.

BT has repeatedly said there is no economic case for taking fibre all the
way to homes except on greenfield sites because of the cost involved.

But Sir Christopher said BT's thinking had advanced "quite far" on the case
for fibre to the kerb.

"That is the more likely development going forward," he said, while
stressing no decision had been taken to go ahead with fibre to the kerb.

BT is planning to offer broadband speeds of up to 24mbps from next year, as
it rolls out a £10bn "backbone" network and introduces technology known as
ADSL2+.

Sir Christopher questioned whether "most consumers" would need broadband
speeds of more than 16 or 24 mbps, but accepted some businesses might do.

The Broadband Stakeholder Group, a government advisory panel, claimed in
April that the BT network would be too slow to meet the demands of the most
demanding households and businesses by 2012.

Enders Analysis, a research firm, estimates that less than a third of
households will enjoy broadband speeds of more than 20mbps with BT's ADSL2+
technology. This is partly because broadband speeds are dependent on the
length of copper landlines running from BT phone exchanges to homes.

The Broadband Stakeholder Group said ministers and regulators had two years
to find ways to encourage investment in high-speed broadband or UK
competitiveness would suffer.

BT is considering the case for inserting fibre between its exchanges and the
phone cabinets found on the street kerb, and introducing VDSL2 technology.
Copper landlines would run from the cabinets to homes.

Sir Christopher said any fibre roll-out would be in "selected areas".
Analysts said BT would focus on towns and cities.

(from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0257f0fa-356...0779fd2ac.html)

Regards
Sunil

"Sunil Sood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> BT, the UK telecommunications group, is considering the case for an
> ultra-fast broadband network that could deliver internet download speeds
> of up to 50 megabits per second.
>
> Sir Christopher Bland, the BT chairman who stands down in September, said
> the company was looking at whether to install fibre optic cable as far as
> the street kerb, where BT phone line cabinets are found.
>
> The roll-out of fibre relatively close to homes and businesses could
> deliver maximum broadband download speeds of 40-50mbps, according to BT.
>
> This compares with the existing upper limit of 8mbps that is available
> from most telecoms companies.
>
> Investors are nervous about BT making any commitment to an ultra-fast
> broadband network because of the likely capital expenditure involved. Some
> analysts have estimated the cost at £4bn.
>
> BT has repeatedly said there is no economic case for taking fibre all the
> way to homes except on greenfield sites because of the cost involved.
>
> But Sir Christopher said BT's thinking had advanced "quite far" on the
> case for fibre to the kerb.
>
> "That is the more likely development going forward," he said, while
> stressing no decision had been taken to go ahead with fibre to the kerb.
>
> BT is planning to offer broadband speeds of up to 24mbps from next year,
> as it rolls out a £10bn "backbone" network and introduces technology known
> as ADSL2+.
>
> Sir Christopher questioned whether "most consumers" would need broadband
> speeds of more than 16 or 24 mbps, but accepted some businesses might do.
>
> The Broadband Stakeholder Group, a government advisory panel, claimed in
> April that the BT network would be too slow to meet the demands of the
> most demanding households and businesses by 2012.
>
> Enders Analysis, a research firm, estimates that less than a third of
> households will enjoy broadband speeds of more than 20mbps with BT's
> ADSL2+ technology. This is partly because broadband speeds are dependent
> on the length of copper landlines running from BT phone exchanges to
> homes.
>
> The Broadband Stakeholder Group said ministers and regulators had two
> years to find ways to encourage investment in high-speed broadband or UK
> competitiveness would suffer.
>
> BT is considering the case for inserting fibre between its exchanges and
> the phone cabinets found on the street kerb, and introducing VDSL2
> technology. Copper landlines would run from the cabinets to homes.
>
> Sir Christopher said any fibre roll-out would be in "selected areas".
> Analysts said BT would focus on towns and cities.
>
> (from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0257f0fa-356...0779fd2ac.html)
>
> Regards
> Sunil
Wouldn't it be better (or at least fairer) to spend monies replacing the
aluminium connections that degrade many of us to 2 Mbps?

Roger

>BT is considering the case for inserting fibre between its exchanges and the
>phone cabinets found on the street kerb, and introducing VDSL2 technology.
>Copper landlines would run from the cabinets to homes.
>

But isn't this the way the cable Telcos operate anyway?...

--
Tony Sayer

"tony sayer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:$(E-Mail Removed)...
> >BT is considering the case for inserting fibre between its exchanges and
> >the
>>phone cabinets found on the street kerb, and introducing VDSL2 technology.
>>Copper landlines would run from the cabinets to homes.
>>
>
> But isn't this the way the cable Telcos operate anyway?...

I think so, yes, but what's your point?

John

"Sunil Sood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> BT, the UK telecommunications group, is considering the case for an
> ultra-fast broadband network that could deliver internet download speeds
> of up to 50 megabits per second.
>
> Sir Christopher Bland, the BT chairman who stands down in September, said
> the company was looking at whether to install fibre optic cable as far as
> the street kerb, where BT phone line cabinets are found.
>
> The roll-out of fibre relatively close to homes and businesses could
> deliver maximum broadband download speeds of 40-50mbps, according to BT.
>
> This compares with the existing upper limit of 8mbps that is available
> from most telecoms companies.
>
> Investors are nervous about BT making any commitment to an ultra-fast
> broadband network because of the likely capital expenditure involved. Some
> analysts have estimated the cost at £4bn.
>
> BT has repeatedly said there is no economic case for taking fibre all the
> way to homes except on greenfield sites because of the cost involved.
>
> But Sir Christopher said BT's thinking had advanced "quite far" on the
> case for fibre to the kerb.
>
> "That is the more likely development going forward," he said, while
> stressing no decision had been taken to go ahead with fibre to the kerb.
>
> BT is planning to offer broadband speeds of up to 24mbps from next year,
> as it rolls out a £10bn "backbone" network and introduces technology known
> as ADSL2+.
>
> Sir Christopher questioned whether "most consumers" would need broadband
> speeds of more than 16 or 24 mbps, but accepted some businesses might do.
>
> The Broadband Stakeholder Group, a government advisory panel, claimed in
> April that the BT network would be too slow to meet the demands of the
> most demanding households and businesses by 2012.
>
> Enders Analysis, a research firm, estimates that less than a third of
> households will enjoy broadband speeds of more than 20mbps with BT's
> ADSL2+ technology. This is partly because broadband speeds are dependent
> on the length of copper landlines running from BT phone exchanges to
> homes.
>
> The Broadband Stakeholder Group said ministers and regulators had two
> years to find ways to encourage investment in high-speed broadband or UK
> competitiveness would suffer.
>
> BT is considering the case for inserting fibre between its exchanges and
> the phone cabinets found on the street kerb, and introducing VDSL2
> technology. Copper landlines would run from the cabinets to homes.
>
> Sir Christopher said any fibre roll-out would be in "selected areas".
> Analysts said BT would focus on towns and cities.
>
> (from http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0257f0fa-356...0779fd2ac.html)
>
> Regards
> Sunil

Yeah, but if you want *REALLY* fast broadband, you gotta look here:

http://www.thelocal.se/7869/20070712/

John

Sunil Sood wrote:

> BT, the UK telecommunications group, is considering the case for an
> ultra-fast broadband network that could deliver internet download speeds of
> up to 50 megabits per second.

It would be nice if ISPs could deliver the speeds they claim before worrying
about 50Mbps.

Graham

In article <-(E-Mail Removed)>, John <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>
>"tony sayer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> >BT is considering the case for inserting fibre between its exchanges and
>> >the
>>>phone cabinets found on the street kerb, and introducing VDSL2 technology.
>>>Copper landlines would run from the cabinets to homes.
>>>
>>
>> But isn't this the way the cable Telcos operate anyway?...
>
>I think so, yes, but what's your point?
>
>John
>
>

None in particular... what are Virgin media going to do with ultra fast
BB?///
--
Tony Sayer

"Roger" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
>> Sir Christopher Bland, the BT chairman who stands down in September, said
>> the company was looking at whether to install fibre optic cable as far as
>> the street kerb, where BT phone line cabinets are found.
>>
>> The roll-out of fibre relatively close to homes and businesses could
>> deliver maximum broadband download speeds of 40-50mbps, according to BT.
>
> Wouldn't it be better (or at least fairer) to spend monies replacing the
> aluminium connections that degrade many of us to 2 Mbps?

If BT do introduce fibre to the kerb, than you would benefit as well from
higher speeds due to a shorter local loop - as would everyone else.

As for the 'alumininum issue' I can't see anything specifically being done
for this as I believe:

a) not that many customers are affected
b) BT don't know exactly where the alumininum is within their local loop.

Of course, switching to fibre between an exchange and a BT green box, would
mean any alumininum there gets removed - along with the copper currently
used.

Regards
Sunil

"Sunil Sood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> BT, the UK telecommunications group, is considering the case for an
> ultra-fast broadband network that could deliver internet download speeds
> of up to 50 megabits per second.
>
> Sir Christopher Bland, the BT chairman who stands down in September, said
> the company was looking at whether to install fibre optic cable as far as
> the street kerb, where BT phone line cabinets are found.
>
>Fibre optic is it expensive.
> Had some delivered at work today £320.00 for 700meteres.
>Opinions welcome.

>

"The Fly" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:aeidnYOk9-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Sunil Sood" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> BT, the UK telecommunications group, is considering the case for an
>> ultra-fast broadband network that could deliver internet download speeds
>> of up to 50 megabits per second.
>>
>> Sir Christopher Bland, the BT chairman who stands down in September, said
>> the company was looking at whether to install fibre optic cable as far as
>> the street kerb, where BT phone line cabinets are found.
>>
>>Fibre optic is it expensive.
>> Had some delivered at work today £320.00 for 700meteres.
>>Opinions welcome.


Then the cost of putting it in the ground plus terminating equipment.