Fibre broadband is to be available to 87% of Londoners by Spring 2011 according to plans announced by BT.
BT are investing heavily in fibre optic broadband and last month announced that they were upping their investment in fibre broadband from £1.5bn to £2.5bn to make it avai;lable to two thirds of the UK by 2015 and to be available to 40% of the UK in 2012.
The fibre broadband that BT offers brings broadband speeds of between 40Mb and 100Mb depending on what form of fibre is deployed, in the main part it will be FTTC (Fibre To The Cabinet) which offers broadband speeds up to 40Mb, with FTTH/P (Fibre To The Home/Premises) offering broadband speeds up to 100Mb being the other type but this is not being done as much as it costs more.
In the announcement by BT they have said that 114 exchanges across London which serve more than 2 million homes and businesses will be upgraded to fibre broadband by Spring 2011 and will mean that it is one of the most well connected cities by the time the Olympic Games come to London in 2012.
BT’s fibre network that they will be offering fibre broadband to customers through is called BT Infinity.
The chief executive of BT, Ian Livingston, said:
“London is already one of the best connected cities in the world and our investment plan will ensure that it stays ahead of the pack. Our investment will see Londoners have access to both fibre and advanced copper broadband services well in advance of the London Olympics.
With BT as its official communications partner, London 2012 looks set to be the best connected Games yet. The infrastructure that we are putting in place will allow people to watch the event in high definition and engage with the Games using a range of exciting, interactive services. More importantly, the new broadband network will be a lasting legacy, enabling those living and work in London to prosper and the capital’s economy to thrive well into the future.“
In London more than 90% of homes and businesses are currently using advanced ADSL2+ copper connections which offer broadband speeds up to 20Mb.