BT Openreach Launches Ultra-Fast FTTP Broadband

BT Openreach has announced the commercial launch of its Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) products, including some of the fastest wholesale services in the UK. The new packages feature 40Mbps to 330Mbps download speeds, and 2Mbps to 30Mbps upload speeds.

Previously available as a trial, the service became available commercially on Monday 2 July and wil  launch will allow competing communications providers to offer ultra-fast services running on the BT fibre network.

TechWeekEurope has previously reported on BT starting an FTTP “on-demand” trial in eight locations around the UK.

Reaching far

Openreach is the infrastructure division of BT, established in 2006 following an agreement with Ofcom, to offer its fibre broadband network to rival telecoms operators. The new, FTTP service will initially be available within the 15 exchange areas where BT fibre cables have already been deployed.

The availability of the service will improve as Openreach expands the FTTP network to other exchange areas and larger housing developments.

FTTP is faster than more widespread Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) connections, since it doesn’t use any copper cable on a journey from the telephone exchange to the customer premises.

From Spring 2013, Openreach also plans to make FTTP available ‘on demand’ in areas already covered by its FTTC network. Before that happens, BT will run a trial of the service, starting this month in parts of High Wycombe, Bristol South and St Agnes, Cornwall.

Edinburgh Waverley will be added to the trial in September, while Watford, Cardiff, Basingstoke and Manchester Central will join the programme in March next year.

To date, Openreach fibre network has connected ten million homes and businesses, and it is expected to reach two thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014.

“The commercial launch of FTTP is a major milestone,” said Mike Galvin, Openreach managing director for network investment.

“Whilst we believe that FTTC will provide speeds that are suitable for consumers for some time, these FTTP products will allow CPs [Communications Providers] to offer SMEs and other bandwidth-hungry users the option of even higher speeds – some of the fastest in the world – and build propositions which help to grow the market for these higher-speed services.”

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