ISP ICUK Launch Superfast 80Mbps FTTC and 100Mbps FTTP Broadband

Internet provider ICUK has today become the latest ISP to launch a new range of up to 80Mbps (FTTC) superfast broadband packages for home and business users. On top of that the UK provider has also introduced a truly fibre optic 100Mbps service, which makes use of the latest Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) technology.

As usual the new “Enterprise” 80Mbps packages cost around £5 more than ICUK’s older range of 40Mbps FTTC services and existing customers will also benefit from a “free upgrade path” to the new product. FTTC is currently available to around 40% of the UK.

ENTERPRISE FIBRE OPTION 1 (Sample Entry-Level Package)
Download Speed: Up to 80Mbps
Upload Speed: Up to 20Mbps
Monthly Peak Download Usage: 10GB
Monthly Off-peak Download Usage: 50GB
Unlimited Uploads
Static IPv6 Addresses (/48)
Email Addresses (@icuknet.co.uk)
FREE Email Spam & Virus Filtering
12 Month Contract

PRICE: £30 inc. VAT per month

ICUK has also confirmed that it will be discounting the activation costs (includes the needed connection hardware / modem) for FTTC and FTTP from £80+VAT down to £60+VAT (£72 inc.VAT) to run alongside BTWholesale’s related promotion. This will be effective from the 1st May through to the 31st July 2012. A sample of the entry-level FTTP package can be found below.

FTTP OPTION 1 (Sample Entry-Level Package)
As above, except..
Download Speed: Up to 100Mbps
Upload Speed: Up to 15Mbps
Monthly Peak Download Usage: 100GB
Monthly Off-peak Download Usage: 100GB
Unlimited Uploads

PRICE: £66 inc. VAT per month

The ISP has also confirmed that it intends to launch both a 330Mbps and 220Mbps FTTP package “later this year“, although BT suggested this morning that the 220Mbps service specifically might not actually arrive until 2013. Thankfully BT is due to make the 330Mbps service available to ISPs and their customers from June next month.

Unlike the FTTC service, FTTP does not rely upon existing copper cable and instead delivers a fast fibre optic cable directly to your doorstep. But ICUK cautions that its FTTP packages “should not be considered a leased line despite the extensive use of fibre optics“. The Service Level Agreements (SLA) and response times from BT will be the same as ADSL and FTTC broadband.