List of BT Exchanges Set for a Spring 21CN WBC Broadband Upgrade

Interestingly BT appears to have informed UK ISPs that they plan to upgrade a large swathe of predominantly smaller telephone exchanges, many of which are in rural areas, from their older and slower 20th Century Network (20CN) based broadband and phone platform to the latest 21CN and Wholesale Broadband Connect (WBC) service between April and June 2015.

It’s been awhile since we saw one of these announcements, which is because BT effectively completed the main deployment of their new 21st Century Network during early 2014. As a result 92% of the United Kingdom (around 23 million premises) should now be within reach of the more modern network.

In practical consumer terms the legacy 20CN network, which is being replaced by 21CN, could only support older ‘up to’ 8Mbps ADSL lines. But to get the faster ‘up to’ 20-24Mbps ADSL2+ services your local telephone exchange needs to be based off 21CN and WBC. In addition, 21CN is often also used with other technologies, such as FTTC superfast broadband (note: this is usually deployed separately from the 21CN roll-out).

Now a new update from Internet provider AAISP, which we spotted this morning, indicates that BT are again pushing the “new” IP based platform even deeper into their network. A closer look at the list reveals a number of areas, such as Bretton in West Yorkshire, which are also due for an FTTC upgrade in 2015 (note: Bretton itself was delayed slightly from late 2014). We suspect this will bring 21CN very close to 95% UK coverage (premises).

List of BT Exchanges for 21CN + WBC Enablement (April – June 2015)
ABERCHIRDER
ANCRUM
ANGLE
ANSTEY MILLS
ASHBURY
AVEBURY
BARLASTON
BEAL
BERRIEW
BILLESDON
BIXTER
BOBBINGTON
BODFARI
BRENT KNOLL
BRETTON
BROMESBERROW
BUCKLAND NEWTON
BULWICK
BURGH ON BAIN
BURRELTON
CAPUTH
CHOLESBURY
CHURCHSTANTON
CLANFIELD
COBERLEY
COLINSBURGH
CRANFORD
CREATON
CRONDALL
CRUCORNEY
CYNWYL ELFED
DALE
DINAS CROSS
DINAS MAWDDWY
DITTON PRIORS
DOLWEN
DUNECHT
DUNRAGIT
DURLEY
EARLDOMS
EAST HADDON
EAST MEON
EDDLESTON
FAYGATE
GAMLINGAY
GAYTON
GLAMIS
GLENLUCE
GREAT CHATWELL
GREENLAW
HAMNAVOE
HUXLEY
ILMINGTON
INNERWICK
KELSHALL
KINLET
KIRKCOLM
LANGHOLM
LANGTREE
LITTLE STEEPING
LLANDDAROG
LLANFAIRTALHAIARN
LLANFYLLIN
LLANNEFYDD
LYDFORD
LYONSHALL
MANORBIER
MICHELDEVER
MIDDLETON SCRIVEN
MIDDLETON STONEY
MILLAND
MILTON ABBOT
MUNSLOW
MUTHILL
NANTGLYN
NEWNHAM BRIDGE
NORTH CADBURY
NORTH CRAWLEY
NORTH MOLTON
NORTHWATERBRIDGE
OFFLEY
PARWICH
PENTREFOELAS
PUNCHESTON
SHEERING
SHEPHALL
STEBBING
STOKE GOLDINGTON
STOW
SUTTON VENY
TALYBONT ON USK
TEALBY
TWINSTEAD
UFFINGTON
WATERHOUSES
WITHERIDGE
WIVELSFIELD GREEN
WOBURN
LEWDOWN
ROMSLEY

We suspect that the additional coverage might not have occurred without the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK programme, which is helping to push FTTC/P services and a 2Mbps Universal Service Commitment (USC) out to more isolated areas.