BT announced a range of new wholesale ADSL products, services and initiatives it will introduce this year which will extend the geographical coverage of broadband and expand customer choice.
The main developments, as presented to service providers at BT Wholesale's Broadband Customer Forum in London, will be:
autumn trials of a new consumer 1Mbit/s ADSL broadband wholesale service, with a view to launch by the end of the year
extending the reach of ADSL broadband, so that even greater numbers of people connected to upgraded exchanges can get the service
trigger levels to be published by next Monday, March 31, on a new batch of 102 exchanges where registered demand is high
expanding trials of SDSL from the current 22 exchanges to 100, with a view to launching the service commercially in August this year
Paul Reynolds, chief executive of BT Wholesale, said: "We are making tremendous progress in broadband on all fronts. We now have more than 750,000 end users, an important milestone on the way to our target of one million ADSL connections by summer this year.
"Today we are announcing new products in direct response to our service provider customers' demands. We are also confirming plans to bring even more people connected to upgraded exchanges within reach of this fast, always on service from the summer.
"And in the background our innovative demand registration scheme continues to help us bring broadband to new areas where there is proven demand - putting a great deal of power directly in the hands of computer users."
Registration scheme
Since the web-based registration scheme was launched by BT in summer last year, more than 300,000 customers have recorded their interest in getting ADSL broadband. So far 35 exchanges have been upgraded as a direct result of the scheme, and a further 206 have hit the triggers set and are now in the process of being upgraded by BT. By next Monday, March 31, a new batch of 102 exchanges where demand has been strong will have triggers published for the first time.
Extending the reach of ADSL
BT Wholesale is testing the provision of ADSL broadband services over slightly greater distances from the exchange than at present. The distance restriction on 512 k bit/s ADSL coverage comes about because of the reduction in the strength of the signal carried due to electrical resistance in the cables.
BT's research has now shown that a good quality service can still be provided when relaxing the limits on this loss in signal strength from 55dB to 60dB. This is roughly equivalent to extending the reach of broadband from 5.5km from an exchange to about 6km, bringing two thirds of those customers (about 600,000 households) currently out of reach into the coverage area. This will mean more than 97 per cent of those connected to ADSL enabled exchanges will be within reach. The proposed launch will be in June, subject to final trials.
BT is also considering the introduction of a simple fix that would end the frustration experienced some people who cannot get broadband because they are connected to their exchange via optical fibre, which cannot support ADSL technology. The solution would use copper cables - some existing, some new - to bypass the fibre. More details will be published in April, working towards a planned launch in June.
New 256kbit/s and 1Mbit/s consumer services
In direct response to demand from its service provider customers, BT Wholesale will trial two new consumer ADSL services in the autumn, with the intention of launching them commercially by the end of the year.
The entry-level ADSL product will give 256kbit/s, and the premium service 1Mbit/s. Prices and other details will be announced this summer.
SDSL trial and launch
The current trial of SDSL in 22 exchanges will be extended to 100 exchanges by May this year, and a commercial launch of the service is scheduled for the summer. SDSL typically appeals to small and medium sized businesses
