BT plans to roll out 1Gbps broadband by 2020
BT has announced that it intends to invest £6 billion in Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) over the next few years to further push superfast broadband coverage across the UK. The company wants to reach 95% coverage of the country in terms of superfast fixed broadband by 2020.
The announcement follows a report by Ofcom suggesting that BT should be compelled to give access to its network infrastructure to rivals so that they can install their own fibre alongside Openreach's cables.
Ultrafast broadband will be deployed to a minimum of 10 million homes and businesses in the same period, subject to regulatory support, with an ambition to reach 12 million. There will be an increased focus on fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology within this plan with the aim being to reach two million premises with the technology, mainly in new housing developments, high streets and business parks.
Virgin Media's announcement that it's ramping up its own FTTP rollout came at the end of last month, with a promise that it will be bringing FTTP to at least a million homes and business premises across the UK as part of its Project Lightning expansion. Consumers benefiting from these FTTP connections will get broadband speeds of up to 200Mbps and businesses will be able to hit 300Mbps.
Availability and pricing
With so many Internet connectivity products and suppliers in the market, SMEs and their suppliers are finding it difficult and confusing. This is why business IT and Telecoms providers wanting to provide superfast broadband to customers as it becomes available are partnering with companies like Jola. Jola dealers and resellers have access to online tools that automate the entire sales and provisioning process. With software hooks into all primary and secondary carriers Jola can sort through millions of postcodes and hundreds of alternatives in minutes, highlighting available speeds, products and pricing. Quotes can be built online and ordered with a single click. Dealers are able to send co-branded proposals and quotations to their customers who also have the option to amend and order online.
