4. Fibre (FTTx) broadband technology has been a popular talking point of 2007, with many claiming that the UK risks falling behind other countries unless we replace our ageing copper wire based networks to keep up with global competition and bandwidth requirements.

BT has naturally expressed concern over the cost and is continuing its focus on existing infrastructure up to ADSL2+, though they do have some limited fibre trials. What do you think should happen?

PlusNet: Of course we’d love to be providing faster services to customers which can support multiple HD-IPTV streams along with super-fast downloads all at the same time. But I’m also pragmatic about the costs involved. BT has invested billions in upgrading its current network and is obviously forging forward with its 21st Century Network plans. While average consumer pricing is now at the £10-15 level and decreasing, and average bandwidth usage is increasing, it’s very difficult to see where the billions required for a fibre upgrade would come from. Even if the cash was instantly available, you’d be looking at years to replace copper with fibre.