BT's G.fast technology to deliver 500Mbps ultrafast broadband to most homes
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While some of us are still waiting for the arrival of superfast broadband BT’s CEO, Gavin Patterson, has announced plans to introduce ultrafast broadband using G.fast technology. Patterson said “The UK is ahead of its major European neighbours when it comes to broadband and we need to stay ahead as customer demands evolve. G.fast will allow us to do that by building on the investment we have made in fibre to date. It will transform the UK broadband landscape from superfast to ultrafast in the quickest possible timeframe.”
Early tests have shown that G.fast has the potential to
deliver significant speed increases from existing and new fibre street cabinets.
This means the technology can be deployed more quickly than previously thought.
Two pilots will start this summer in Huntingdon,
Cambridgeshire and Gosforth, Newcastle. G.fast will help BT deliver ultrafast
speeds of up to 500Mbps to most of the UK within a decade. Deployment will start
in 2016/17, subject to the pilots being successful.
BT expects to offer initial speeds of a few hundred megabits
per second to millions of homes and businesses by 2020. Speeds will then
increase to around 500Mbps with plans to develop a premium service of up to
1Gbps.