High-speed broadband one step closer
Businesses across the UK have moved a step closer to benefiting from faster broadband internet speeds with the announcement that it is to open up access to its new 21st century CN (21CN) network to internet service providers (ISPs).
The news will come as a welcome relief to both corporate and private users after months of bad news concerning the roll out of high-speed networks, with a recent report from Channel 4 cited highlighted how far the UK is behind in this area in comparison to the rest of the world.
According to research carried out by Broadband Expert on behalf of the broadcaster, broadband speeds are currently, on average, 48 per cent of the speeds advertised and for which businesses and households are paying.
Indeed, of the 41,000 connections analysed, it was even found that many of the higher speed packages being sold deliver just 26 per cent of the advertised speed, though some ISPs were able to deliver around 88 per cent of the speed for which they were charging.
Now it looks like this situation is set to improve over the coming months as BT Wholesale allows ISPs access to its ADSL2+ technology which, according to the communications giant, could provide theoretical maximum speeds of 24Mbps, a significant advancement on current offerings.
The new system will see customers connected to a 21CN broadband exchange, from which different ISPs will be able to supply them with their own service, with rates and package benefits set to vary according to usage.
Sally Davis, chief executive officer of BT Wholesale, commented: "In order to support the rising tide of new multimedia applications and multiplay services delivered over broadband, communications providers require a new set of tools to enhance the broadband experience.
"Wholesale Broadband Connect has been developed with this in mind, offering communications providers a wide range of functions that will help set them apart in this rapidly changing market," she explained.
Critics, however, are not so sure that this move represents a significant boost for the corporate sector, pointing out that, rather than the 24Mbps figure being bandied about, BT's own tests have shown that, in reality, speeds will be nearer to six Mbps when the connection is just around 2.5 kilmoetres from the exchange.
That distance factor too is likely to be a downside, with connections getting weaker the further away they are from an exchange, meaning millions of businesses will be not much better off due to their geographical location.
Furthermore, the new initiative will only be made available to one million households and businesses, with BT stating that ADSL2+ will reach a "potential footprint of ten million homes by the spring of 2009", while a number of other ISPs have already started offering the technology.
While many industry observers have conceded that this is a step in the right direction, it is likely nevertheless to serve as nothing more than a respite from the growing calls for BT, and the government, to take a more aggressive stance and invest more heavily to ensure that the UK doesn't fall further behind its European neighbours.
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