BT Claims UK First by Running Fibre Optic Broadband to Multiple Office Units

BT Business Broadband has today completed what it describes as being “the UK’s first” deployment of 100Mbps (Megabits/sec) capable superfast fibre optic (FTTP) internet access services into “multiple office units” at Acorn House in central Milton Keynes.

The new connectivity should, among other things, allow Acorn House and its range of organisations to deliver faster wireless internet (WiFi) in the local café and at meeting rooms throughout the building. Acorn House is itself owned by the MK Community Foundation, which has its offices there along with other local “voluntary sector services” (e.g. The Citizen’s Advice Bureau, Community Action MK and Women & Work).

Lisa Ravenscroft, Head of BTBusiness’s Fibre Broadband, said:

“We are at the forefront of the fibre revolution for businesses in the UK and this is a real milestone in being able to provide the best technology to all types of customer. Fibre to the Premises offers super-fast speed for both uploading and downloading. It’s ideal for data-intensive work, and it is also an enabler for organisations of all sizes and types that want to take advantage of the latest technologies, like videoconferencing and remote data backup, which help them to improve efficiency and cut costs.”

Stephen Miles, Building Manager of Acorn House, added:

“We have always strived to ensure our tenants can access the latest technologies as it’s central to the efficient running of their vital community services. Offering super-fast broadband speeds sets us apart from other local providers and is another benefit for our clients who use our conference and meeting room facilities.”

It should be said that fibre optic FTTx broadband connections are often deployed into large business premises and BT is by no means the first to deliver such a service, although they are probably the first to deploy their own specific brand of Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology into such an environment.

At present the BT-Infinity for Business FTTP service (from £30 +vat per month) offers download speeds of 100Mbps (15Mbps uploads), although the operator will very soon be pushing this all the way up to 300-330Mbps.

Sadly BT’s FTTP coverage is currently extremely limited but the ISP hopes to deploy FTTP-on-Demand by Spring 2013, which will effectively make it available anywhere that its more dominant / slower consumer FTTC service can already go (i.e. 40% of UK premises by Q4-2012 and 66% by the end of 2014).

Earlier this year BTOpenreach also announced an expansion of its related FTTP service trial for High Rise Buildings (e.g. big city apartment blocks), which aims for a further 1,000 buildings to join their pilot (full details).