BT has revealed that it now provides 15 million homes and small businesses with broadband connections, via both its own ISP and other ISPs that use its network.
The communications provider, which hit the milestone earlier this month, said it has gained 14.8 million customers since August 2002, when it was providing just 200,000 homes and businesses with broadband connections.
BT said this equates to more than 5,000 new broadband connections a day.
Olivia Garfield, BT strategy director said: "Broadband Britain has been a success story with widespread availability, low prices and high take up."
"People were sceptical when BT backed broadband in 2002 but the figures speak for themselves."
Combining BT and Virgin Media's broadband customers together means 19 million, or 71 percent of UK households, now have a broadband connection, compared to just 35 percent in 2005.
Furthermore, Ofcom says 99 percent of British homes have access to broadband connections, which is more than France, Germany and Italy.
"The story doesn't end here as BT is now investing a further £2.5bn to roll out fibre broadband to two thirds of the UK. This will help the UK climb the league tables for speeds, one of the few areas in which we don't lead the world".
Comments
Ignatius said: If the governmenthad allowed Bt to lay optical fibre in the local network on privatisation all your problems wouls be non existent
Cyteck said: Apart from the obviously dreadful amp damming comments made here about BTs lack of broadband performance for many many customers One of The Most Annoying things is that due to BTs complete monopoly of the UK market users have no choice even if you change ISP your new service provider will also be a client of BT In other words dammed if you do amp dammed if you dont its a no win situation terrible really Action needs to be taken at government level to change this sad state of affairs because BT wont thats for certain
Jurgen said: Is it not time that the authorities pulled the plug on the ISPs I believe that once the ISPs start loosing their licences for failing to provide an acceptable service we the customers will start to see REAL improvements
Druid said: This is clearly a case of never mind the quality feel the width or to put it another way a triumph of quantity over quality I agree that BT should be doing more to improve the connection speed for their exisiting remote customers rather than playing a speed numbers game on their local customers
JM said: I live near the BT control centre near Oswestry Shropshire and the best they can do for the 3500 people in my village is 04Mbps Absolute disgrace
Korky Kat said: They keep phoning me to join them with lots of special offers Ask them the monthly limit and they tell you 10gb for 999 No thanks I can get 40gb from 02 for 1250 or less
Peter said: John S No need to wait until the contract is up if the service you are getting is not satisfactory then surely that is grounds for cancelling
John S said: I agree BT are not interested in the rural community my speed is very erratic and most of the time is only 15MbsecMy line is old has a problem Openreach say it is knackered needs renewing but no too expensive This causes my hub to constantly reboot which causes the speed to drop and I am having a hell of a time getting them to sort it outAs soon as my contract is up I will be saying good by to BT
bill hicks said: Yep greedy BT dont want to help out rural communities because it doesnt make enough money for them You would think a company of this magnitude would maybe have a wee bit of money somewhere
Geoff.Wilson. said: Yes I agree with Patrick and Dragon I only get 07 Mbpswith BT Any-one in the countryside or the rural areas have no chance of good bandwith speeds And yet we have to pay full wack for an inferior deliveryguess its the same old post-code lottery in this country againGeoff
Dragon said: Yep Patrick BT say they can only provide me with 512 KB whereas Tesco Pipex Homecall and talktalk all managed 14 MB - 16 MB over the same phone line
Patrick said: 25bn to roll out fibre broadband to two thirds of the UKitd be nice if they focused on the customers that are barely getting over 1mpbs before they start rolling this out to people already getting around 8mpbs