UK ISP BT Start Free FTTC Infinity 1 Broadband Speed Boost up to 76Mbps

Existing customers of BT’s 52Mbps (9.5Mbps upload) capable Infinity 1 (FTTC) “fibre broadband” service will be pleased to learn that the ISP has decided to reward them with a free speed boost ‘up to’ 76Mbps (19Mbps upload) and a doubling of their cloud storage, but not everybody will benefit.

A number of BT’s Infinity 1 subscribers contacted us this week (credits to Lee and several others) to query why their broadband download and upload speeds had suddenly improved, with many clearly being unaware that the operator had decided to reward them “just to say thanks.”

BT Statement to Infinity 1 Customers

We’re giving you two broadband boosts ‐ faster broadband and more cloud storage. All on us.

With your speed boost of up to 76mb, you’ll be able to enjoy even more of the entertainment you love at a faster speed.

On top of this we are also doubling your BT Cloud storage for free so you can now back up even more of your precious photos and videos online, and access it from anywhere with an internet connection.

There’s no need to do anything ‐ sit back, relax and we’ll let you know when your boosts have been activated.

The operator started upgrading lines this month and is expected to complete it by mid-November 2017. Customers may experience a short service interruption (less than a minute) when the new Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC / VDSL2) speed profile is applied and the speed could take a few days to settle. The obvious caveat here is that not everybody will have a good enough copper line in order to benefit.

Generally if you have a line that can actually support speeds of more than 55Mbps (i.e. the Openreach profile for BT’s ‘up to’ 52Mbps product) then you should see an increase in your sync speed (BT confusingly describes this as being “the speed of your fibre to your property“, forgetting that FTTC runs copper to your property and fibre only goes to the cabinet), but if you currently get below 52Mbps then don’t expect a faster download.

For those who do benefit, the download boost will often still be less than the advertised rate of 76Mbps (usually only those who live very close to their FTTC cabinet will get the best speeds). It’s worth pointing out that even those who don’t benefit on the download side may still see an uplift from the higher upstream rate, which is something that has become increasingly important thanks to Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitch etc.

The upgrade appears to apply to all existing Infinity 1 customers. If you ordered BT Infinity after 13th August 2017, the ISP will uplift your speed if your line can support it. If you ordered Infinity 1 before 13th August 2017 and your line can support the new speed, they’ll also automatically uplift you.