BT Confirm the Final 99 UK Locations for its Superfast Broadband Rollout

National UK telecoms operator BT has today announced a final list of 99 telephone exchanges that will soon be able to receive its latest 80Mbps capable Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) or “ultra-fast” 330Mbps Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) based superfast broadband ISP products through their commercial roll-out.

The new service already passes more than 13 million homes and businesses (increasing by around 100,000 every week) and BT is spending £2.5bn of its own money to reach a total coverage of 66% by the spring of 2014 (18 months earlier than originally planned), when the telecoms operator is expected to reach 19 million premises (i.e. ending its commercial roll-out).

The latest list of upgrades (Phase 11) are expected to add an extra 1.2 million homes and businesses (premises passed) to the operators superfast network coverage (291,000 of today’s new premises are in Scotland), with the majority being given estimated Ready for Service Dates (RFS) that run into spring 2014.

As usual the dates are prone to lengthy delays and some of BT’s future exchanges are already due in 2015 (i.e. those related to BDUK funding). It’s also noted that 600,000 out of the 1.2m total will gain FTTC/P as a result of additional infill work in previously announced exchange areas and more work like this, which expands coverage via street cabinets, is also expected.

Overall BT has now confirmed around 1,700 telephone exchange areas across the United Kingdom which will make up the bulk of its commercial fibre footprint. In other words today’s update is effectively the last of BT’s commercial roll-outs and future progress will come through BDUK and related projects with public funding support. However BT has said that it may still reveal a few extra commercial upgrades in the future but “none are planned at the moment“.

Mike Galvin, Openreach’s Managing Director, said:

“The UK is making great progress with super-fast broadband and this latest phase of work will keep up the momentum. Speeds are increasing all the time with the UK second only to Japan within the G8. I am sure that communities across the UK will be pleased to see that they are factored into our commercial plans and I now look forward to working with councils to identify further areas that we can enable with their support.

Our fibre deployment continues to gather pace. Our engineers are working round the clock to hit our ambitious target of reaching two thirds of UK premises with fibre during Spring 2014 – at least eighteen months ahead of the original timetable. The work doesn’t stop there however as we are also helping to roll out fibre to other parts of the country working in partnership with local authorities as part of the BDUK activity.”

The national deployment of BT’s new superfast broadband technology remains dominated by its FTTC service, which only takes the new fibre optic cable as far as your street cabinet (i.e. slower and more variable speeds than true fibre optic FTTP lines). The good news is that anybody with an FTTC line will, from next spring 2013, be able to order FTTP via BT’s new FTTP-on-Demand (FTTPoD) product.

Unfortunately FTTPoD is expected to cost up to around £1,000 or more, which is necessary because a new fibre optic cable has to be run directly to your doorstep. Thankfully the monthly rental price will remain more of less the same as a normal FTTP package and those who take it would thus benefit from having access to “ultra-fast” 330Mbps speeds (assuming the ISP can afford to supply it). This product is more intended for “premium” users, such as small businesses, although home owners will also be able to order it.

On top of that BT claims that it could expand the reach of its superfast broadband (FTTC/P) services to 90% of the United Kingdom, although to do so would require them to win the lion’s share of the government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) budget (worth around £1bn). This now looks inevitable and BT has already set aside a further £1bn of its own money to match-fund with any public investment.

The New FTTx Telephone Exchange Upgrades (Phase 11)
Allestree Park – East Midlands
Alloway – Scotland
Ambergate – East Midlands
Atherstone – West Midlands
Avonmouth – South West
Barnard Castle – North East
Barton on Humber – Yorkshire and The Humber
Battle – South East
Beamish – North East
Beith – Scotland
Belgravia – London
Belper – East Midlands
Birtley – North East
Blairgowrie – Scotland
Blythe Bridge – West Midlands
Bonnybridge – Scotland
Bosham – South East
Bracklesham Bay – South East
Broadwell – West Midlands
Broomfield – East of England
Cambusnethan – Scotland
Carnoustie – Scotland
Castle Donington – East Midlands
Cheddington – South East
Chelmsley Wood – West Midlands
Chelsea – London
Chorleywood – East of England
Coatbridge – Scotland
Conisbrough – Yorkshire and The Humb
Cooden – South East
Cuckoo Oak – West Midlands
Dalry (West of Scotland) – Scotland
Darlington – North East
Drumchapel – Scotland
Dundee Claverhouse – Scotland
Dundee Steeple – Scotland
Dunston – North East
Duntocher – Scotland
Dysart – Scotland
Easington – North East
East (Central Midlands) – West Midlands
East Kilbride – Scotland
Ebchester – North East
Eckington; Derbyshire – East Midlands
Ellon – Scotland
Finchfield – West Midlands
Forres – Scotland
Gillingham (Solent) – South West
Glenrothes (South) – Scotland
Greyfriars – West Midlands
Grimsby – Yorkshire and The Humb
Hagley – West Midlands
Harefield – London
Harwich – East of England
Healing – Yorkshire and The Humb
Hollinswood – West Midlands
Houghton Regis – East of England
Hunts Cross – North West
Hurstpierpoint – South East
Johnstone – Scotland
Kennoway – Scotland
Kensington Gardens – London
Keresley – West Midlands
Knebworth – East of England
Loanhead – Scotland
Lochgelly – Scotland
Market Drayton – West Midlands
Melbourne; Derbyshire – East Midlands
MERRYLEE – Scotland
Mexborough – Yorkshire and The Humb
MILTON LEE – West Midlands
NEWBIGGIN ON LUNE – North West
NORTON (NORTH EAST) – North East
Olney – South East
PROVANMILL – Scotland
RADCLIFFE ON TRENT – East Midlands
Rawmarsh Parkgate – Yorkshire and The Humb
REDCAR – North East
RENFREW – Scotland
RUNCORN EAST – North West
SCARTHO – Yorkshire and The Humb
SEATON DELAVAL – North East
Shanklin – South East
Shipston On Stour – West Midlands
STECHFORD – West Midlands
STOKE CITY – West Midlands
SWANAGE – South West
Thrybergh – Yorkshire and The Humb
TICKHILL – Yorkshire and The Humb
TIPTON – West Midlands
TRENTHAM – West Midlands
TURRIFF – Scotland
WALSGRAVE- ON-SOWE – West Midlands
Wath upon Dearne – Yorkshire and The Humb
WELLESBOURNE – West Midlands
WELLFIELD – North East
WHICKHAM – North East
Wollaton – East Midlands
Yapton – South East

Readers should check out Openreach’s Superfast-Broadband website, which usually contains the most up-to-date details about coverage in specific areas. It’s also important to mention that BT’s FTTC technology typically covers an average of around 85% of homes and businesses within an enabled telephone exchange area (i.e. having an upgraded exchange doesn’t mean you’ll be able to receive the service as street cabinet coverage is now more important).

Previous BT FTTC/FTTP UK Exchange Updates

* March 2009 – 29 (FTTC) Exchanges
* July 2009 – 69 (FTTC) Exchanges
* January 2010 – 63 (FTTC) Exchanges
* March 2010 – 303 (FTTC) Exchanges
* September 2010 – 159 (FTTC/FTTP) Exchanges
* January 2011 – 41 (FTTC/FTTP) Exchanges
* April 2011 – 156 (FTTC/FTTP) Exchanges
* June 2011 – 66 (FTTC/FTTP) Exchanges
* December 2011 – 178 (FTTC) Exchanges
* March 2012 – 73 (FTTC) Exchanges
* June 2012 – 98 (FTTC) Exchanges
* September 2012 – 163 (FTTC) Exchanges