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09|01|09

Super-fast broadband

Super-fast broadband is a fibre-based technology which could change how we live and work.

Ofcom has taken the lead in encouraging the roll out of this new technology, which boosts internet speeds by using fibre-optic cables instead of copper wires.

At the moment most broadband is delivered via copper wires – giving customers headline speeds of around 8 megabits per second (Mbit/s).

But upgrading these wires to fibre-optic cables could increase speeds to up to 100 Mbit/s.

Faster downloads

This would mean faster downloads and give people the ability to talk to friends and relatives via video links, while families would be able to perform several different tasks at once – such as internet downloading or watching movies on high-definition TV.

Our latest super-fast broadband consultation – launched in September 2007 – included proposals to make it easier and more attractive for firms to invest in rolling-out fibre-optic technology.

Since then Virgin Media has launched its super-fast broadband service with speeds of 50 Mbit/s.

The company says users of the new service will be able to download an entire music album in 11 seconds, a TV show in a minute and a film in under 4 minutes.

Fibre-optic

BT has also announced it has chosen sites in London and South Wales to trial its faster, fibre-optic broadband.

The trials in London’s Muswell Hill and Whitchurch in Wales will begin next summer and, once complete, will provide customers with headline speeds of up to 40 Mbps.

BT had already announced plans to roll out fibre-based, super-fast broadband to as many as 10 million homes by 2012.

It says the £1.5 billion programme will deliver top speeds of up to 100 Mbps - with the potential for speeds of more than 1,000 Mbps in the future.

Have your say

H2O Networks has also started rolling out its fibre-to-the-home project in Bournemouth, which promises broadband speeds of 100 Mbit/s.

Our super-fast broadband consultation closed in December and we will publish a further statement in the spring.

In the meantime, you can also join in the debate on our super-fast broadband blog.

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