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BT ‘s delayed 21CN network upgrade began this last and the eventual roll out will see BT customers who currently receive 8 Mbps services able to receive speeds of up to 20 Mbps. Real life increases might not be quite as dramatic but customers are likely to see speeds increased across the board. What’s impressive though is that his upgrade comes from BT free of charge.
BT announced their move with a comment aimed at rival network providers Virgin Media. CEO of BT Gavin Patterson commented: “Unlike other providers, BT is upgrading customers to 20Mb/s for free. High-speed broadband provides a faster and more reliable service that will transform the way we live, work, learn and play.”
Virgin 50mbs Service Still Quicker
However, BT are still lagging behind Virgin’s 50 Mbps service which is being rolled out to more and more homes in populated areas of the UK. BT has also been in the press this week regarding its severe capping of users during peak times, so it still remains a poor option for downloaders, despite the extra speed.
The ADSL2+ technology was being trialled by BT for some time before this rollout with 60,000 customers taking part. However, this technology has been available wholesale for some time, providing your exchange is connected. Customers using providers like Be Broadband have been enjoying speeds of up to 24 Mbps for some time, albeit for a higher price. BT planned to also offer their speed upgrades at 24 Mbps as well but were unable to fulfil the goal.
Although offering a free increase in speed is a rare and admirable thing, you shouldn’t be too quick to switch to BT just yet. We reported only a few days ago that the service drops speeds on popular sites like iPlayer and YouTube which is where having high speeds will see some of the biggest benefits. BT has announced no plan to remove or reduce that cap in light of the new speeds. Meanwhile, competitors Be and Virgin offer faster speeds with less stringent traffic management.
BT are soon to begin their trials of their fibre optic network which will see speeds of 40 Mbps offered to customers in South Wales, Whitechurch and Muswell Hill this summer, with aims to provide the service to 40% of UK residents within the next few years.
Patterson commented: “We believe the true value of broadband is in helping customers enjoy the exciting new services that it makes possible. In line with the government’s Digital Britain review, we will be making higher speeds more widely available.” All of the exciting new possibilities… unless you want to stream video in the evening, that is.
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