fibre optic
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BT under pressure to sort out super-slow broadband installations
We all want super-fast internet in our homes, but for many people that's borderline impossible, because there's no fibre optic infrastructure in their area. When they're told that a connection is finally available, it can also feel like forever before engineers set up the line. If you've ever been in a similar situation, then you might be interested in Ofcom's latest proposals. The regulator is considering new rules that would force Openreach, a BT-owned division that manages UK broadband connections, to react faster to new "leased line" orders from business customers (which includes internet service providers).
BT says faster broadband is coming, but it could take 10 years
Everyone in the UK wants super-fast broadband in their home. The most reliable and effective solution right now is fibre, which every internet provider uses as the backbone for their network nationwide. But there's a problem -- the fibre often stops at the street cabinet, and many customers are limited by the slower copper cables running up their driveways. While fibre can be installed for the final leg, it's expensive, so companies such as BT are looking for new ways to give their traditional copper a speed boost. One approach is "G.fast," a technology that uses a wider frequency band to increase performance. It works best over shorter distances, although rural homes can still be supported via remote nodes and distribution points, which bring the fibre connection closer to the property.
BT admits it's not even close to hitting its original fibre broadband target
When BT first set out plans to connect Britain with fibre optic broadband, it wanted to get 25 percent of homes on its network online without using old copper cables. That meant fibre optic wires running straight into your home, rather than just to your local cabinet on the street, where BT's aging infrastructure has to make the final push. Alas, the company's plans didn't pan out and it eventually resorted to its copper network to get fibre connections in more homes in a shorter space of time. However, that means slower downloads; while BT's fibre-to-your-door can get you speeds of up to 300 Mbps, its copper lines top out at 80 Mbps (although it could theoretically get a whole lot faster).
Sky goes it alone for its latest fibre broadband trial
Currently at the mercy of BT, Sky has indicated that it wants to build its own fibre-optic broadband network for some time. Having partnered with providers to deliver TV broadcasts over cables and teamed up with TalkTalk to supply gigabit (1000 Mbps) broadband to select customers in York, the company has decided to go it alone for its latest fibre trial. In Basingstoke, Sky's building its own fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) network that's capable of delivering speeds of up to 950 Mbps over an ethernet connection (150 Mbps over WiFi), far outstripping those offered by rivals BT and Virgin Media (which currently top out at 300 Mbps).
EE opens its broadband packages to all
After initially limiting connections to mobile customers, EE is throwing its broadband packages open to everyone. With BT and Virgin Media firmly in its sights, the company has slashed the cost of its internet bundles, allowing customers to sign up for a 17Mbps connection for just £2.50 a month. Don't expect them to stay that low, though, as EE will hike prices after the 12-month promotion expires. Once it does, the £2.50 and £7.50 tiers rise to £9.95 and £12.95 respectively. Getting fibre broadband is also cheaper for a time, starting at £5 for a 38Mbps connection, but increases sharply to £19.95 after just three months.
Ofcom considers slashing fees for fibre broadband switchers
Under new rules put forward by UK communications regulator Ofcom, switching between superfast broadband suppliers could soon become a whole lot cheaper. Currently, if you switch from one fibre-optic provider to another, Openreach (the company that controls BT's phone and broadband infrastructure) will levy a £50 connection fee against your new ISP, which is sometimes passed down to you. Ofcom's new guidance will cut that wholesale fee down to just £11, possibly saving you money and promoting competition by making it easier for new companies to launch their own superfast services. That's just one of many new regulations being put forward to the European Commission. The watchdog also intends to reduce the minimum-term contract for ISPs from one year to just one month (passing subscription benefits to consumers) and wants to force BT to fix phone and broadband issues within two days, but only when weather permits. All of today's regulations will now be sent to the European Commission for review, and we should see the final decision arrive sometime in June.
Sky and TalkTalk join forces against BT for faster fibre-optic broadband
If you're a broadband provider like Sky or TalkTalk, one of the only ways you can get around using BT's infrastructure is to build your own. That's exactly what the two companies are intent on doing, after it was announced today that they'll be teaming up to provide faster fibre-optic connections in a number of UK cities. With a little help from network provider CityFibre, they'll begin piping gigabit (1000 Mbps) broadband direct to homes and businesses in York, eliminating the need to rely on BT's Openreach, which serves 300 Mbps connections and means BT gets a cut of Sky and TalkTalk's cash. It's the latest in a number of smaller deals for Sky, after it signalled it would take on Virgin Media by delivering TV, broadband and landline services over fibre connections to some areas of the UK. But what does it mean for you? Well, if you live in a supported area of York, you'll be able to choose Sky or TalkTalk as your fibre-optic broadband supplier from 2015. If you don't reside in the historic city, there are plans to expand the fibre networks to two more cities across the UK. BT will continue to operate its own service regardless. Although Sky and TalkTalk will be partners in the new venture, they'll be competing for customers in those chosen markets, likely driving down the the cost of gigabit broadband in the process.
Sky looks to fibre-optic networks to bring you TV without the dish
Sure, Sky's been quick to embrace streaming, but the broadcasting giant has relied upon the humble satellite dish to bring TV to your home for almost two decades. However, there may soon be a conspicuous absence of those little black dishes in some parts of the UK after the company confirmed it'll soon start using fibre-optic networks to deliver its TV, broadband and telephone services. To facilitate this, Sky's teamed up with British network provider GTC to integrate its service into new-build homes, opening access to its TV packages, landline phone service and up to 300Mbps broadband in the process. The deal takes Sky into Virgin Media territory, where its rival offers similar packages over cable networks. It could end up stifling Virgin's own expansion plans in those areas, although the reach of Sky's commandeered fibre-optic network will be relatively small. Sky can't seem to shake it's reliance on traditional over-the-air broadcasting though, as the TV signal is actually being fed from a large, centralised satellite receiver. Right now, Sky taps BT's fibre-optic infrastructure to deliver super-fast broadband to homes across the UK, but limits TV content to online on-demand services like Sky Go and Now TV. Does this mean Sky is about to drop the satellite dish in favour of super-fast fibre for the whole of the UK? Not just yet, but one thing's for sure, Virgin Media will be watching with a keen interest.
Virgin Media begins pushing its UK broadband to 120Mbps, much to Usain's delight
If you're one of Virgin Media's top-tier internet customers, you may soon see your service getting a little speedier. The Branson-backed company is boosting its top speed from 100Mbps to 120Mbps, thanks to a £110 million ($169 million) infrastructure investment. The majority of the network -- around 60 percent -- has yet to be supercharged, but you can use the coverage checker linked below to see if you're in-line for an early Christmas present from Sir Richard.
Plusnet pushes its UK-fibre-optic broadband to 76Mb/s
Stereotype-embracing ISP Plusnet has added a new tier of fibre-optic broadband, offering speeds up to 76Mb/s. The revamped Extra Fibre package now offers upload speeds of up to 19.5 Mb/s, with a 250GB monthly usage allowance, matching those offered by parent company BT. Of course, those of us who can't even get ADSL2 will just have to watch on, with jealousy in our eyes.
House of Lords wants UK TV to go fully online and leave airwaves clear for cellphones
The UK House of Lords' Communications Committee has suggested that all broadcast TV should be moved to the internet to free up wireless spectrum for cellphones. In its report, the panel found that whilst such a network would be cheaper and more efficient in the long run, it would also require extensive re-building of the country's archaic communications infrastructure. Given that the analog-to-digital switchover is currently in progress, it seems unlikely that a further transition will be timetabled -- especially since there are still concerns over the cost of bringing fiber-optic broadband to rural areas. Any change in the plan will need to be rubber-stamped by Government, but perhaps it'd be more amenable if they saw how good 8K video looks on one of those connections.
BT kicks off 330Mbps 'FTTP on Demand' trials, reveals pilot locations
Not everyone is apparently in love with British operator BT's green boxes. Still, that isn't stopping the company from serving up its high-fiber diet to those who want to have speedy Internet connections. For its latest project, BT's Openreach division has started offering an "FTTP on Demand" program that provides fiber-to-the-premises at 330Mbps speeds to folks or businesses who order the service. The project will be done in phases at eight locations, starting with High Wycombe, Bristol South and St Agnes, Cornwall in July. Next up is Edinburgh's Waverley exchange in September followed by Watford, Cardiff, Basingstoke and Manchester Central in 2013. Communications providers can decide to cover installation costs by absorbing a one-off charge, having higher monthly fees or passing the whole thing to the consumer. Want to gobble up more info about BT's latest fiber-filled broadband service? Then check out the good, old PR after the break.
Vodafone gets green light to buy Cable & Wireless, goes on a high-fiber diet
Vodafone has succeeded in its attempt to buy Cable & Wireless in a bid to become the UK's second largest telecoms company. The £1.04 billion ($1.6 billion) purchase had been at risk thanks to a C&W shareholder rebellion, but will will now go ahead barring regulatory approval. Big Red will take control of undersea cables that connect global telephone lines, a booming business division and a national fiber-optic network, which it'll use to boost its mobile data service -- sad news for anyone hoping the company would offer triple-play services on all that shiny fiber.
Upscale London borough says no no no to BT's broadband revolution, ugly green boxes
Between all of the delays, disappointment and a general lack of availability, many Brits can't seem to catch a break when it comes to getting fast internet -- but this time it could be their own fault. BT's fiber optic rollout plans came to a screeching halt in Kensington and Chelsea after a staggering 96 of 108 applications for big green street cabinets housing the fiber were flat-out rejected. The local council just isn't prepared to clutter its pristine streets with the "ugly" boxes. The telecoms provider now says it'll concentrate on nearby areas that "have shown a greater eagerness to enjoy the benefits of broadband." It's a good thing there are no plans to paint their famous telephone booths green, or those might be out of a job as well.
Vodafone looking to buy Cable & Wireless, just can't resist that fibre-optic infrastructure
UK mobile giant Vodafone is planning to buy up commercial network provider Cable & Wireless for just over £1 billion ($1.7 billion). If successful, it'll gain a national fibre-optic broadband network (separate to BT and Virgin Media's), a large portfolio of business customers and a backbone venture that connects 150 countries with undersea cables. The latter will probably be sold off so that Vodafone can concentrate on winning more enterprise customers from its rivals while also easing the burden on its own network. It's also worth pointing out that C&W previously offered retail broadband and cable services, but any notion of Vodafone using this acquisition to offer the same would be pure guesswork.
BT super-charges fiber-optic broadband today, for the lucky few who can get it
Excuse our sour grapes, but the fortunate proportion of Britons with access to BT's fibre fiber-optic broadband will find everything much faster from today at no extra cost. Infinity 1 customers now have an upstream of (as always) "up to" 9.5Mbps, up from 1.9Mbps yesterday, but downstream remains fixed at 38Mbps. Meanwhile, those with Infinity 2 have seen their speeds doubled with 19Mbps up and 76Mbps down as the company continues its jockeying with Virgin Media to remain top dog in the speedy broadband stakes. Those of us who aren't in an area that's been earmarked for the fiber-optic rollout will have to make do with checking the property websites and wishing.[Thanks, Craig]
Shaw plants 100Gbps fibers in Canada, watches them grow
Consumers can dream of 1Gbps, businesses might ask for 10Gbps, but here's the next step along that logarithmic curve: Shaw and Alcatel-Lucent just launched a new 100Gbps inter-city fiber optic network in Canada, following a successful trial between Calgary and Edmonton. The network can purportedly handle 133 million simultaneous voice calls, 440,000 HDTV channels, or transmit the equivalent of 44 Blu-ray discs in a single second. More redweed details in the PR after the break.
