BT Openreach, which is responsible for ensuring that all rival ISPs have equality of access to BT's local network, has revealed the next 159 UK telephone exchanges (Phase 6) to be upgraded for its new 'up to' 40Mbps and 100Mbps fibre optic based FTTC / FTTP broadband services. The new list covers upgrades that are expected to take place between September and December 2011.

Telecoms operator BT is known to be investing £2.5bn over the next few years so that 40% of the UK population (10 million homes) can use its Next Generation Access (NGA) of fibre optic broadband ISP products by 2012, climbing to 66% in 2015. A good number of small and medium sized ISPs are now offering the service, including BT , IDNet and Zen Internet etc.

Previous BT-FTTC UK Exchange Rollout Updates
* March 2009 - 29 (FTTC) Commercial Exchange Upgrades
* July 2009 - 69 (FTTC) Commercial Exchange Upgrades
* January 2010 - 63 (FTTC) Commercial Exchange Upgrades
* March 2010 - 303 (FTTC) Commercial Exchange Upgrades

It should be noted that 45 out of today's new list of 159 exchange upgrades will get both BT's existing 40Mbps FTTC service and the newest 100Mbps FTTP product, although no ISP has launched a commercial FTTP based service yet. Check out our recent 'Examining BT's 100Mbps (FTTP) Fibre Optic UK Broadband' article for more detail.

EXCHANGE NAME - Location (Type / Date)
ACCRINGTON - Lancashire (FTTC December 2011)
ALLERTON - Merseyside (FTTC December 2011)
ASHBY-DE-LA-ZOUCH - Leicestershire (FTTC December 2011)
ASHTEAD - Surrey (FTTC Sep 2011)
BAMBER BRIDGE - Lancashire (FTTC December 2011)
BARMING - Kent (FTTC December 2011)
BERMONDSEY - Greater London (FTTC December 2011)
BIGGIN HILL - Greater London (FTTC Sep 2011)
BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL - West Midlands (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
BISHOPS WALTHAM - Hampshire (FTTC December 2011)
BISHOPSGATE - Greater London (FTTC December 2011)
BLACKFRIARS - Greater Manchester (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
BOOKHAM - Surrey (FTTC December 2011)
BOSCOMBE - Dorset (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
BOWMANSGREEN - Hertfordshire (FTTC December 2011)
BRACKLEY - Northamptonshire (FTTC December 2011)
BREADSALL - Derbyshire (FTTC December 2011)
BROUGHTON - Lancashire (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
BUCKINGHAM - Buckinghamshire (FTTC December 2011)
BURGH HEATH - Surrey (FTTC Sep 2011)
BYFLEET - Surrey (FTTC December 2011)
CALDICOT - Gwent (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
CALDY - Merseyside (FTTC December 2011)
CALNE - Wiltshire (FTTC December 2011)
CAMBRIDGE CENTRAL - Cambridgeshire (FTTC December 2011)
CANVEY ISLAND - Essex (FTTC December 2011)
CATERHAM - Surrey (FTTC December 2011)
CHAFFORD - Essex (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
CHAPEL END - Warwickshire (FTTC December 2011)
CHATHAM - Kent (FTTC December 2011)
CHELTENHAM - Gloucestershire (FTTC December 2011)
CHERTSEY - Surrey (FTTC December 2011)
COBHAM - Surrey (FTTC Sep 2011)
CRAYFORD - Greater London (FTTC Sep 2011)
CULLINGWORTH - West Yorkshire (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
DAGENHAM - Greater London (FTTC Sep 2011)
DEAL - Kent (FTTC December 2011)
DINNINGTON - South Yorkshire (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
DONNINGTON - Shropshire (FTTC December 2011)
DOWNLAND - Surrey (FTTC Sep 2011)
DRAYTON - Norfolk (FTTC Sep 2011)
DUNBLANE - Central (FTTC Sep 2011)
DUNDEE PARK - Tayside (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
DUNSTABLE - Bedfordshire (FTTC December 2011)
EDINBURGH FOUNTAINBRIDGE - Lothian (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
EDINBURGH NEWINGTON - Lothian (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
EDINBURGH WAVERLEY - Lothian (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
ELLAND West - Yorkshire (FTTC December 2011)
ELY - Cambridgeshire (FTTC December 2011)
EPSOM - Surrey (FTTC Sep 2011)
ERITH - Greater London (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
ESHER - Surrey (FTTC December 2011)
ETWALL - Derbyshire (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
EVERSLEY - Berkshire (FTTC Sep 2011)
EWELL - Surrey (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
FARNBOROUGH - Greater London (FTTC December 2011)
FARNHAM COMMON - Buckinghamshire (FTTC December 2011)
FAWLEY - Hampshire (FTTC December 2011)
FLITWICK- Bedfordshire (FTTC December 2011)
FOUR OAKS- West Midlands (FTTC December 2011)
FULWOOD - Lancashire (FTTC December 2011)
GARSTON - Hertfordshire (FTTC Sep 2011)
GOSPORT - Hampshire (FTTC December 2011)
GRAYS THURROCK - Essex (FTTC December 2011)
GREAT MISSENDEN - Buckinghamshire (FTTC December 2011)
GREENHITHE - Kent (FTTC December 2011)
HADLEIGH - Essex (FTTC December 2011)
HAMPTON - Hampshire (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
HARDINGSTONE - Northamptonshire (FTTC December 2011)
HARDWICKE - Gloucestershire (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
HARESTOCK - Hampshire (FTTC December 2011)
HARLOW - Essex (FTTC December 2011)
HATCH END - Greater London (FTTC Sep 2011)
HAVERHILL - Suffolk (FTTC December 2011)
HAWKWELL - Essex (FTTC Sep 2011)
HEADLESS CROSS - Hereford & Worcester (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
HERTFORD - Hertfordshire (FTTC December 2011)
HIGHER BOLTON - Greater Manchester (FTTC December 2011)
HIGHWOODS- Essex (FTTC Sep 2011)
HILLSIDE - Warwickshire (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
HOLMES CHAPEL - Cheshire (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
HOLMFIRTH - West Yorkshire (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
HOOTON - Cheshire (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
HORNDEAN - Hampshire (FTTC December 2011)
HOUGHTON- LE- SPRING - Tyne & Wear (FTTC December 2011)
IRBY - Merseyside (FTTC December 2011)
IRLAM - Greater Manchester (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
IVER - Buckinghamshire (FTTC December 2011)
IVYBRIDGE - Devon (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
KESGRAVE - Suffolk (FTTC Sep 2011)
KINGS LANGLEY - Hertfordshire (FTTC December 2011)
KIRBY MUXLOE - Leicestershire (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
LAINDON - Essex (FTTC December 2011)
LEATHERHEAD - Surrey (FTTC December 2011)
LIVERPOOL CENTRAL - Merseyside (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
LLANTWIT MAJOR - South Glamorgan (FTTC December 2011)
LONGFIELD - Kent (FTTC December 2011)
LONGTON - Lancashire (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
LUTTERWORTH - Leicestershire (FTTC December 2011)
MALDON - Essex (FTTC December 2011)
MALTBY - South Yorkshire (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
MANCHESTER CENTRAL - Greater Manchester (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
MARYLEBONE - Greater London (FTTC December 2011)
MIDCALDER - Lothian (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
MINSTER SHEPPEY - Kent (FTTC December 2011)
MOORTOWN - West Yorkshire (FTTC December 2011)
MOUNTWOOD - Merseyside (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
MUMBLES - West Glamorgan (FTTC December 2011)
NAILSWORTH - Gloucestershire (FTTC December 2011)
NESTON - Cheshire (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
NORTH PADDINGTON - Greater London (FTTC Sep 2011)
ORMSKIRK - Lancashire (FTTC December 2011)
ORPINGTON - Greater London (FTTC Sep 2011)
PADDINGTON - Greater London (FTTC December 2011)
PEACEHAVEN - East Sussex (FTTC December 2011)
PENCOED - Mid Glamorgan (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
PLYMOUTH - Devon (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
PONTELAND - Northumberland (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
POTTERS BAR - Hertfordshire (FTTC December 2011)
PRUDHOE - Northumberland (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
QUORN - Leicestershire (FTTC December 2011)
RADLETT - Hertfordshire (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
RAINHAM - Greater London (FTTC Sep 2011)
RAYLEIGH - Essex (FTTC December 2011)
REDHILL - Surrey (FTTC Sep 2011)
REIGATE - Surrey (FTTC Sep 2011)
RICKMANSWORTH - Hertfordshire (FTTC Sep 2011)
RINGWAY - Greater Manchester (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
ROCHFORD - Essex (FTTC Sep 2011)
ROYAL - Merseyside (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
ROYSTON - Cambridgeshire (FTTC Sep 2011)
SANDAL - West Yorkshire (FTTC December 2011)
SHEFFORD - Bedfordshire (FTTC December 2011)
SHIRLEY - West Midlands (FTTC December 2011)
SOUTH WOOTTON - Norfolk (FTTC December 2011)
SOUTHAM - Warwickshire (FTTC December 2011)
SOUTHAMPTON - Hampshire (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
SPENCERS WOOD - Berkshire (FTTC December 2011)
ST. FAITH - Norfolk (FTTC December 2011)
STANSTED - Essex (FTTC December 2011)
STREETLY - West Midlands (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
STROOD - Kent (FTTC December 2011)
SUNBURY - Surrey (FTTC Sep 2011)
SWANLEY - Kent (FTTC December 2011)
SYDENHAM - Greater London (FTTC Sep 2011)
TADLEY - Hampshire (FTTC December 2011)
TAUNTON - Somerset (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
THAME - Oxfordshire (FTTC December 2011)
THAMES DITTON - Surrey (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
UPMINSTER - Greater London (FTTC Sep 2011)
WALLASEY - Merseyside (FTTC December 2011)
WAPPING - Greater London (FTTC December 2011)
WELWYN - Hertfordshire (FTTC December 2011)
WESTHOUGHTON - Greater Manchester (FTTC-FTTP December 2011)
WEYBRIDGE - Surrey (FTTC Sep 2011)
WITHAM - Essex (FTTC December 2011)
WITNEY - Oxfordshire (FTTC December 2011)
WOODHAM FERRERS - Essex (FTTC-FTTP Sep 2011)
WOOLSTON - Hampshire (FTTC December 2011)

** Download BTOpenreach PDF Copy (Full Rollout List)

BT Fibre-to-the-Cabinet ( FTTC ) technology delivers a fast fibre optic link to the operators street level cabinets, while the remaining connection (between cabinets and homes) is done using VDSL2 (similar to current ADSL broadband but faster over short distances) through existing copper cable; FTTC will initially deliver speeds of up to 40Mbps (uploads should reach up to 10-15Mbps).

BT's Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) - marked in GREEN above - takes the fibre optic cable directly to your home, which cuts out the physical restrictions of using existing copper cable and allows for delivering of significantly faster download speeds, reaching up to 100Mbps (uploads are initially in the 15-30Mbps range, although 100Mbps is possible).

This list represents BT Openreach's latest target dates, it does not factor in the time that it takes to upgrade each of the local cabinets in any given area to support FTTC / FTTP services, which can add several weeks or more to the timescale. Also dates can and often do shift.

PS - Not many exchanges for Scotland, again.

UPDATE 08:39am

Just a small update regarding Scotland. We count about 6 Scottish telephone exchanges out of the whole pack, including Dunblane, Dundee Park, Fountainbridge, Newington, Waverley and Mid Calder in West Lothian. That's 33,000 extra homes and businesses covered, according to BT (total Scottish FTTC coverage is now 134,000 premises, pretty weak).