Superfast BTOpenreach Microsite Given a New Lick of Paint

BTOpenreach has dropped us a quick email to say that their Superfast Openreach microsite, which helps people to find out when and where BT’s rollout of superfast broadband (FTTC/P) technology is likely to occur, has been given a mild revamp to improve its navigation and add a few extra features.

Generally speaking most of the changes aren’t especially significant, although the postcode checker is slightly improved and there’s a new rural broadband page that seems to outline all of the different Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) areas and the status of any related contracts etc. Rob Lee, Openreach’s Director of Marketing and Communications, summarised the changes as follows.

Superfast Openreach Changes

* The site’s designed to be easier for people to find the information they need about fibre and what it can do for them.

* It’s now mobile friendly so people can have a great viewing experience on any device.

* We’ve placed greater focus on the role fibre can play in enabling exciting, bandwidth-hungry content such as HD TV services.

* It should make it easier for consumers and businesses to learn about fibre, what it can do for them and how to get it. It also has links to all of Openreach’s Communications Provider customers offering fibre services.

* The postcode checker has also been improved; whereas before it would give you the status of all of the exchanges in your area, it now narrows that down to the exchange which serves you (except for a few cases where postcodes straddle a number of exchange boundaries), giving a much clearer picture of whether you are likely to be able to receive fibre services.

* There’s a new ‘don’t let your internet connection hold you back’ video on home page and a brand new rural broadband page that outlines all the different BDUK areas, status of the contracts and links through to the relevant BDUK programme website.

Customers seeking information about FTTC performance and coverage in their area might also want to run their phone number or postcode past BTWholesale’s own Broadband Availability Checker (ignore the references to ADSL on that page).