BT Unveils Priority Business Class Fibre Broadband

Released on: January 25, 2010, 8:56 am
Author: BT
Industry: Internet & Online

BT Business has unveiled its new fibre broadband service, BT Business Total Broadband Fibre, offering download speeds of up to 40Mb/s, from £30 per month. The service gives business traffic priority at times of contention and the UK’s fastest upstream speeds of up to 10Mb/s*, allowing users to get more than ever before from the internet.

The new service allows businesses to run multiple VOIP, high-definition video conferencing and business-grade cloud applications plus download emails, web-pages and FTP files concurrently, to reach new customers and better market themselves. It will also make home working a reality, allowing staff to remain connected to the office at all times.

A dedicated broadband "fast lane" also puts business user traffic first at times of contention to help firms continue to work faster, do more, reduce operational costs and boost productivity.

Nigel Stagg, managing director, BT Business, said: “28% of businesses are already using faster broadband to expand their website capabilities, and another 25% are using it to drive more processes online and employ more bandwidth-hungry technology according to our research last year**. BT Business Total Broadband Fibre gives businesses capacity and reliability, with the reassurance of a priority service, to enjoy the best possible online experience. We are committed to rolling out higher speeds and additional coverage across the UK during 2010.”

Businesses in Muswell Hill, Whitchurch and Glasgow Halfway have already been enjoying the faster 40Mb/s broadband service through a BT trial. The service will now be made available to approximately 500,000 homes and businesses from 31-enabled exchanges by late February. A further two million homes and businesses will be able to access the services by late summer following the roll out of the technology by Openreach, BT’s local access division.

This announcement sees BT Retail confirm that it will make fibre-based broadband available to 40 per cent of the UK – or some 10 million premises - by summer 2012. 2.5 million premises in total will have access by late summer and four million by the end of 2010.

From 26 January, new and existing BT Business customers in an enabled exchange area will automatically be eligible for the fibre service. 50 per cent of UK businesses can currently also receive ADSL 2+ broadband speeds of up to 20Mb/s at no extra cost to copper services.

Notes to editors
* Faster than Virgin's current 50Mb/s product
** The survey was conducted by Vanson Bourne on behalf of BT Business and included responses from more than 7,200 small and medium businesses across the UK

ENDS

About BT
BT is one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in 170 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband and internet products and services and converged fixed/mobile products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale.

In the year ended 31 March 2009, BT Group’s revenue was £21,390 million.

British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York.

For further information
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