BT to trial 1GB/s broadband in the UK


6 Dec 2010

Telecoms company British Telecom (BT) has announced its latest plans for “super-fast broadband”, which involves a technical trial of one Gigabit (GB) of fibre broadband speeds.

BT says it plans to rollout the 1GB/s broadband services in Suffolk, UK, to fall in line with the British government’s vision to create the best super-fast broadband network in Europe by 2015.

The trial, which will begin in early 2011, will see the company provide some of the fastest residential speeds over fibre broadband anywhere in the world today.

BT says the purpose of the trial is to demonstrate the “maximum speed capabilities of BT’s fibre-to-the-premise (FTTP) product” – namely its ability to deliver downstream speeds of 1GB/s and upstream speeds of 400Mb/s to business customers in the UK.

Vital for growth

Jeremy Hunt, secretary of state for culture, Olympics, media and sport, said: “A super-fast broadband network is vital to the country’s economic growth and the development of our high-tech and creative industries.” 

The company said it will continually “push the limits” of its super-fast broadband programme in terms of technology and geography.

The company is expected to make further statements on the broadband trial today.