UK to be propelled up the broadband league tables

Openreach has unveiled a hat trick of developments that will help the UK achieve its goal of becoming a world-beating broadband nation.

In an announcement today it announced plans to:

• Launch an up to 110Mbps Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) service. The service will initially be available in six locations - Ashford in Middlesex, Bradwell Abbey in Milton Keynes, Highams Park in North London, Chester South, St Austell and York) from late October
• Deliver downstream speeds of up to 300Mbps from next spring using this same technology. These speeds are three times faster than those offered by other major networks and they will be available on a wholesale basis supporting a competitive retail market.
• Roughly double the speeds delivered by Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) broadband (from up to 40Mbps to up to 80Mbps) following approval from the relevant authorities.

Said Openreach chief executive Liv Garfield said: “Today is a significant step in the UK’s broadband journey. These developments will transform broadband speeds across the country and propel the UK up the broadband league tables.”

“All our fibre products are fit for the future and these developments show that to be the case. As always, we want to go further and faster and so our journey doesn’t end here. We can turn up the dial should there be demand and so we can look to the future with confidence,” she said.

She also underlined the company’s commitment to ensuring that rural areas benefit from the roll-out of superfast broadband.

“No-one is keener than us to extend these superfast speeds to rural areas and so we will be bidding for public funds to help extend these services even further. The challenge is a tough one but by working with the public sector it is within our reach,” she said.