BT will nearly double the number of UK homes and businesses that can receive super-fast broadband services over its copper lines by extending the reach of its next-generation network to cover 75 percent of the country.
According to The Times 40 percent of UK homes and businesses are currently covered by BT's fast copper network that offers speeds of up to 24Mbps (megabits a second) but BT Wholesale is set to announce that it will almost double the reach of the network by Spring 2011.
BT also announced that around 140,000 homes currently located in 'notspots' could be getting broadband access thanks to Broadband Enabling Technology (BET).
The ISP is currently testing a super-fast broadband service, which offers users speeds of up to 40Mbps, in Muswell Hill in London and Whitchurch in Cardiff.
It planned to extend the trial to other areas of the UK, including Scotland next year.
However, complaints from Muswell Hill residents over the cabinets that house the fibre cables has encouraged BT to concentrate its efforts on the Scottish trial in Glasgow.
The superfast broadband network will offer speeds of up to 40Mbps or even 100Mbps if the fibre is connected directly to the home. Virgin Media's cable network offers speeds of up to 50Mbps.
A proposed £6 broadband tax that will fund the installation of a next-generation fibre network in the UK will go ahead before the next election, says the government.
Treasury Minister Stephen Timms said it was his aim to legislate for 50p per month charge on copper telephone lines "this side of a general election" during a British Computer Society debate.
Timms also revealed the tax would raise £150m to £175m a year.
Carrie-Ann Skinner contributed to this article.
Comments
Peter Veale MIET said: I am pleased to advise I am a happy Virgin Media customer Why should I have to pay 6-00 a year to improve BTs network
itisi said: This 150 million will get used up by giving it all away to the many immigrants that we let in who when interviewed in Calais stated that they want to come here because they get more here than anywhere else When are we going to stop this stupidity Milosovich may have been right
Alex said: As someone whose Business BT connection feels very priveleged when its data rate lurches as high as 19KBps lets call that 160kbps to be on the safe side Hey its better than dial-up I can only marvel at the dreams BT weaves for the hopeful Hope you do better than me
Sailor219 said: Last night I was down loading an update to a game and the speed was 165kbts is this anything like the promised speeds
Jim said: Yet another stealth tax which will no doubt never be used for it stated purpose
Pete said: I find it hard to believe that anyone cancharge you for something that you dont have yet If the government think its that good then let them pay for it and when the upgrades are done to everyone then start charging
Eric said: The BT monster lets get a level playing field BT has been hogging the network since privatization in 1984 unfortunately BT still speaks for some 70 per cent of all British residential phone linesFrom my point of view I find it difficult to see how privatization has worked With BT being the gatekeeper of a network that others must use to reach their customers it will always have an inbuilt competitive advantageBTs telephone exchanges and wires which connect homes to its network should be demerged from the companys customer or retail side Then BTs retail operations would be in the same boat as other providers and what a good thing that would be
Dragon said: The only promise I can see being fulfilled here is having to pay 6 pa out of my meagre pension My daughter a well paid chef does not have a land line relying on her mobile and a dongle so she wont get to pay this unwarranted tax All BT is doing is increasing BB speed for townies In the last 5 years BT could only supply me with 512 kbps That has not changed despite getting 14MB through Pipex Homecall and now 17MB through talktalk Why cant BT match that It is the same phone line and Exchange after all I cant even switch to a mobile BB service to avoid paying this 6 because mobile phones dont work here so it is never going to benefit me at all
Eric said: I consider users pay enough fixed line rental charges as it is As far as the revenue raised being used to increase a faster broadband service is just Snake oil The revenue raised will either be siphoned off to be dropped into the pit of the UKs national debt or help to fill up the black hole in the BT pension fund