BT Retire 20CN IPStream Connect Broadband Services at 425 UK Exchanges

BT has informed UK ISPs that its legacy broadband retirement programme will, from November 2012, stop accepting new provide orders for its older 20CN based IPStream Connect products (e.g. mostly up to 8Mbps ADSL technology); albeit only at telephone exchanges where the latest 21CN based Wholesale Broadband Connect (WBC) solution exists as an alternative.

Many of BT’s remaining 20CN based services exist in predominantly rural areas, which are usually classified as Market 1 by Ofcom (covers around 11.7% of UK homes and businesses or 3 million premises). But many of these exchanges will soon benefit from the operators plan to make the latest 21CN / WBC services available to 90% of the UK (22.5 million premises) by the end of Spring 2013.

Martin Pitt, MD of UK ISP Aquiss, said:

“This rolling programme will cover 2,500 exchanges at the rate of around 400 a month until IPStream Connect is fully retired across the WBC estate by 31st March 2014. IPStream services will remain available at those exchanges not enabled for WBC copper broadband.

We are providing early notice to customers now and will also advise how and where existing connections need to be moved from IPStream Connect to WBC based services.”

Most consumers should not expect any major disruption from this change because the ISP will normally take charge of moving customers from one platform to the other. Indeed many could benefit from the faster speeds offered by ADSL2+ and other solutions on 21CN, although experiences do vary.