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BT Lists 29 Initial Fibre Optic UK Broadband Rollout Exchanges

By: MarkJ - 23 March, 2009 (11:58 AM) - Score: 14267 - Fixed Line Broadband

BT has just released a full list of local UK telephone exchange locations where, from early 2010, its new super fast (up to 60Mbps) fibre optic based (FTTC) broadband services will become available from. This follows Saturday’s news when BT outlined its plans to deploy the product in several Scottish cities first.

BT's local access division, Openreach, will deploy Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) technology at 29 exchanges across the UK. This will bring speeds of up to 40Mbps – and potentially 60Mbps - within reach of 500,000 homes and businesses. Areas of Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Greater Manchester will be amongst the first locations to benefit from this initial deployment.

FTTC essentially replaces the copper wire going to local street cabinets from an HQ exchange with a high capacity fibre optic link. VDSL or VDSL2 is then used to carry the connection over an existing (last mile) copper wire into homes, working in a faster but not hugely dissimilar way to many existing (ADSL) broadband services.

List of FTTC Exchanges

CHELMSFORD - Essex (East of England)
ST. ALBANS - Hertfordshire (East of England)
WATFORD - Hertfordshire East of England)
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD - Hertfordshire (East of England)
LEAGRAVE - Bedfordshire (East of England)
LUTON - Bedfordshire (East of England)
CANONBURY - London (London)
CHINGFORD - London (London)
EDMONTON - London (London)
ENFIELD - London (London)
HIGHAMS PARK - London (London)
TOTTENHAM - London (London)
THAMESMEAD - London (London)
WOOLWICH - London (London)
BURY - Greater Manchester (North West)
DIDSBURY - Greater Manchester (North West)
FAILSWORTH - Greater Manchester (North West)
HEATON MOOR - Greater Manchester (North West)
OLDHAM - Greater Manchester (North West)
RUSHOLME - Greater Manchester (North West)
BELFAST BALMORAL - Belfast (Northern Ireland)
DEAN - Edinburgh (Scotland)
GLASGOW HALFWAY - Glasgow (Scotland)
GLASGOW WESTERN - Glasgow (Scotland)
CARDIFF - Cardiff (Wales)
TAFFS WELL - Rhondda Cynon Taf (Wales)
HALIFAX - West Yorkshire (Yorkshire and Humber)
PUDSEY - West Yorkshire (Yorkshire and Humber)
CALDER VALLEY - West Yorkshire (Yorkshire and Humber)

Interestingly two of the areas, Calder Valley (near Halifax) and Taffs Well (near Cardiff), are not urban and BT will be looking to learn lessons from deploying its fibre in such environments (cost, technical feasibility etc.). The rest are unsurprisingly significant urban areas, thus making them more likely to bring a suitable return on BT's investment.

Steve Robertson, CEO of Openreach, the division of BT responsible for the delivery of the plans, also added that some regulatory hurdles had yet to be overcome, though he did not say which: "The regulatory picture is complex and whilst Ofcom has given us a very welcome green light, we will require a few more over the coming months. We remain confident though that Ofcom recognises the need for an environment that encourages investment."

BT has pledged to spend £1.5 billion by 2012 to ensure that 40% of UK homes and businesses (10 million premises) can access fibre-based broadband services. As reported in Saturday’s news, the next set of locations - serving a further million homes and businesses, will be announced in the autumn. Check out that same news for even more information on the rollout (original news).

Since that news we've also learnt more information about BT plans to trial their latest form of FTTC technology in Muswell Hill (London) and Whitchurch in South Glamorgan this summer. It will take place during July 2009 and be conducted via five as yet unidentified UK ISPs, with up to 15,000 customer premises being involved in each area.

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Comments: 32

sodbt
Posted: 23 March, 2009 - 12:54 PM
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what a load of rubbish and crappy bt. why no midlands ???? why ???? hate you bt and hate you ofcom.

TRIaXOR™
Posted: 23 March, 2009 - 5:49 PM
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[Quote]outlined its plans to deploy the product in several Scottish cities first[/quote]

I wouldn't say 2 = several confused

Faye
Posted: 23 March, 2009 - 6:03 PM
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The broadband divide grows. Supply high speed broadband to places where high speed broadband is already available, leaving those with no choice with much less bandwidth and now BT are allowed to charge more for the privilege.

Yay for the consumer.

i am stupid
Posted: 23 March, 2009 - 11:02 PM
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yet again i live in a place where it don't really matter , it should not based upon where you live , if i had the cash i would be moving to a country where the actual Phone Company/Broadband you pay for what ya get \sweden/ and others ;)

dave
Posted: 25 March, 2009 - 1:02 PM
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Well I say, well done BT. at least OFCOM have EVENTUALLY allowed them to go for fibre...BT have wanted to do this for years but have been blocked my OFCOM. Yet another story of a consumer watchdog shafting the public it's supposed to help.
Also, why wouldn't BT roll out the service to high volume areas first? That way they test the system and also get more money to speed up the roll out elsewhere. Stop being so bitter. If you were in Africa you'd be well screwed. 2-3 yrs in not a long time to wait for 40+Mbps. It'll be far better than Virgin Media - if they even exist by then.

Samir
Posted: 1 April, 2009 - 11:46 AM
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BT should fibre optic to areas that have the slowest, speed. This will allow them to maximise thier sales and the areas would also benefit.

MARK
Posted: 9 April, 2009 - 7:35 PM
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Why is the rollout in Belfast @ Balmoral?. Does anyone know when the rest of Belfast will get it?

Hal Tollitt
Posted: 10 April, 2009 - 4:05 PM
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"It will take place during July 2009 and be conducted via five as yet unidentified UK ISPs"

Anyone got some ideas as to which ISPs this will be?

I am moving to muswell hill soon and want make sure i'm not going to be missing out!

terry dee
Posted: 29 April, 2009 - 6:00 PM
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not to sure about the 'copper' bit for the last mile or so. our lead covered copper feed is over 40 years old and BT have refused to renew it. broadband is total rubbish in our road so its over to optics soon because it will be years before BT get to us. their last repair in this road took nearly 2 weeks. no one seemed to know what was going on. good ol BT bless em. some idears have to move aside even if they spend a billion plus. give me the cash, I know what to do with it.........hmmmm

Mick
Posted: 15 May, 2009 - 5:10 PM
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So does that mean Muswell Hill and Whitchurch are ONLY enabled for the trial period and it will be switched off after that ?! That's going to be really frustrating for those taking part in the trial - to have 60Mb broadband then have it snatched away from them frown

DV
Posted: 9 July, 2009 - 12:08 AM
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not bad.. BT cant even get me 512k but BT can supply other that speed

Ross
Posted: 9 July, 2009 - 12:56 PM
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Woohoo!, as someone served by Glasgow Halfway I'm delighted to read this, my current speed at 1 mile from the exchange is only just over 1mb.

B
Posted: 14 July, 2009 - 11:02 PM
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whats the f**king point rolling out where you can alread get virgin

albert lionheart
Posted: 22 July, 2009 - 3:39 PM
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the reason there is no rollout to urban areas is there is less concentrated wealth in urban areas.

@ author b
Posted: 7 August, 2009 - 12:57 PM
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The f####ing point is you need competition in the fibre market.

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