BT Hits Target - One Million ADSL Lines
Posted: 09th Jun, 2003 By: MarkJ
BT has officially managed to pass its second major ADSL target (first was 500,000) by announcing the use of over one million UK broadband connections. The operator has responded to this by cutting the trigger level of every local exchange awaiting ADSL by 50!:
BT HITS MAJOR BROADBAND MILESTONE
BT today announced it had passed its initial target of one million wholesale broadband connections by summer 2003. The target was set in February last year when BT had only 145,000 connections.
To mark the achievement, BT is giving a boost to parts of the UK that do not yet have access to ADSL broadband. Every "trigger level" across the UK will be reduced by 50 registrations, a reduction of up to 25 per cent.
Trigger levels reflect the number of people who need to register their demand for broadband before BT upgrades an exchange with ADSL technology. The news means that 69 exchanges will immediately hit their triggers and work will begin to upgrade them with broadband technology.
The exchanges stretch from Cowes in the Isle of Wight to Cookstown in Northern Ireland and serve more than 375,000 households. More than 71 per cent of UK households are currently connected to broadband enabled exchanges and BT estimates this figure will increase to more than 80 per cent by the end of 2003.
Ben Verwaayen, BT chief executive said: "In February last year I set the challenging target of one million DSL broadband connections by summer 2003. Well, we are there by early summer and it is a great achievement. The UK is one of the most competitive broadband environments in the world and this is shown by the fact that more than 100 service providers supply broadband over our phone lines to one million customers.
BT's world-leading registration scheme has been critical to this success as it has stimulated demand to such an extent that we now have the confidence to reduce trigger levels and take on more of the commercial risk. I am sure this news will be welcomed by the hundreds of local campaign groups who have played such a vital role in driving demand."
The registration scheme was introduced in July 2002 to identify where true demand for broadband exists. The triggers reflect only a proportion of the number of end users required by BT to make a return on its investment and so any reduction in their level reflects an increased commercial risk on BT's part. Experience over the last few months shows that take-up of broadband in areas enabled through the scheme has been higher than initially anticipated and these findings lie behind the decision to reduce triggers.
The scheme is the first of its kind in the world and its success has attracted interest from many overseas telecoms companies. More than 440,000 people have registered their interest in receiving broadband through the scheme and more than 600 local campaign groups receive support from BT in their efforts to raise awareness of the scheme and bring ADSL technology to their area.
The one millionth customer to be connected to broadband over BT's network is the Winrose Project, a supported living scheme which helps disadvantaged young people in the South Leeds area. The Winrose Project, a customer of Legend ISP, will use broadband to help young people gain e-learning skills and to have internet access.
On to the next milestone, two million!
BT HITS MAJOR BROADBAND MILESTONE
BT today announced it had passed its initial target of one million wholesale broadband connections by summer 2003. The target was set in February last year when BT had only 145,000 connections.
To mark the achievement, BT is giving a boost to parts of the UK that do not yet have access to ADSL broadband. Every "trigger level" across the UK will be reduced by 50 registrations, a reduction of up to 25 per cent.
Trigger levels reflect the number of people who need to register their demand for broadband before BT upgrades an exchange with ADSL technology. The news means that 69 exchanges will immediately hit their triggers and work will begin to upgrade them with broadband technology.
The exchanges stretch from Cowes in the Isle of Wight to Cookstown in Northern Ireland and serve more than 375,000 households. More than 71 per cent of UK households are currently connected to broadband enabled exchanges and BT estimates this figure will increase to more than 80 per cent by the end of 2003.
Ben Verwaayen, BT chief executive said: "In February last year I set the challenging target of one million DSL broadband connections by summer 2003. Well, we are there by early summer and it is a great achievement. The UK is one of the most competitive broadband environments in the world and this is shown by the fact that more than 100 service providers supply broadband over our phone lines to one million customers.
BT's world-leading registration scheme has been critical to this success as it has stimulated demand to such an extent that we now have the confidence to reduce trigger levels and take on more of the commercial risk. I am sure this news will be welcomed by the hundreds of local campaign groups who have played such a vital role in driving demand."
The registration scheme was introduced in July 2002 to identify where true demand for broadband exists. The triggers reflect only a proportion of the number of end users required by BT to make a return on its investment and so any reduction in their level reflects an increased commercial risk on BT's part. Experience over the last few months shows that take-up of broadband in areas enabled through the scheme has been higher than initially anticipated and these findings lie behind the decision to reduce triggers.
The scheme is the first of its kind in the world and its success has attracted interest from many overseas telecoms companies. More than 440,000 people have registered their interest in receiving broadband through the scheme and more than 600 local campaign groups receive support from BT in their efforts to raise awareness of the scheme and bring ADSL technology to their area.
The one millionth customer to be connected to broadband over BT's network is the Winrose Project, a supported living scheme which helps disadvantaged young people in the South Leeds area. The Winrose Project, a customer of Legend ISP, will use broadband to help young people gain e-learning skills and to have internet access.
On to the next milestone, two million!
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