BT Details Plan To Launch First Symmetric Ultrafast FTTP Broadband

Openreach has detailed a rollout of a symmetric 1Gbps broadband product suitable for customers requiring huge upload speeds.

Openreach emailed Silicon UK announcing its plans to “launch a new symmetric 1Gbps broadband speed tier in certain locations – offering Communications Providers (i.e. ISPs) further choice when ordering a service over its ultrafast Full Fibre network.”

Openreach is currently in the process of installing a full fibre network around the United Kingdom, and so far has reached 15 million premises. The UK has approximately 32.5 million premises and Openreach hopes to reach “up to” 30 million premises by 2030.

Symmetric broadband

Those customers within reach of the full fibre network stand to gain a broadband network connection with a maximum download speed of 1.8Gbps and 120Mbps upload.

But now Openreach is touting a new symmetric 1Gbps broadband speed tier, which could potentially offer the same upload speed as the download speed.

Openreach confirmed that an ultrafast symmetrical service can accelerate the upload of large files, like videos, graphics and software. It said this can be helpful for content creators, reducing latency and ping times, providing a smoother and more responsive experience for online gamers, or boosting cloud-based applications and services, as uploading and accessing data are equally fast.

Openreach said it will look to launch the new symmetric service in April 2025.

“Last year we successfully launched to Communication Providers (CPs) new download speeds of up to 1.8Gbps over our Full Fibre network and we’re keen to continue pushing the capabilities of the network so we can further diversify our portfolio and offer our CP customers, and their own end customers a broader choice of competitive fibre based products,” said Openreach product manager Matthew Sledge.

“At the current time we are focusing the new product on a deployment in selected Project Gigabit Type C areas, where we can assess demand and usage,” said Sledge.

“With broadband data usage growing year on year, we’re also planning for the future, and have recently engaged our Communications Provider customers on the next phase of Full Fibre network architecture, e.g. XGS-PON[1],” said Sledge. “We are seeking their feedback on what end customers future speed requirements might look like.”

BT stake

Openreach said that any end customers signing up to the new 1Gbps symmetric service will be able to use their existing ‘Optical Network Terminal’ or ONT – the box that allows fibre optic cable to be connected from inside your home, out through their property and to the fibre network at the street.

Pricing and commercial terms for the new product will be confirmed in due course.

Earlier this week, Openreach’s parent, BT Group, confirmed to Silicon UK an agreement that will see Indian conglomerate Bharti Global acquiring a 24.5 percent of BT Group.

Bharti is acquiring the stake from Altice UK, which is wholly owned by Patrick Drahi – a French-Israeli telecoms billionaire.

In May 2022 the UK government had begun a national security assessment of Altice’s stake increase in BT, but later concluded the shareholding raised no national security concerns.