Posted: 04th Mar, 2010 By: MarkJ

Broadband provider TalkTalk has said that it expects completion of a £10-20m upgrade to its backhaul network, which will install Gbit Ethernet fibre between all exchanges, sometime during the coming months. The move, it claims, should ensure a more consistent service performance during peak times.
Tristia Clarke from TalkTalk commented:
"We are all aware of the frustration that comes from a congested internet. Jittery iPlayer, slow gaming and even web pages take an age to load. As people increasingly use the internet to view rich media content, ISPs have struggled to balance the ballooning infrastructure cost with the need to offer compelling propositions in an ever competitive market.
However, at TalkTalk we have invested in our network to remove all backhaul congestion, the principle cause of slow internet speeds at peak times. So whether you want our Essentials package giving you 40GB of downloads a month, or the high-performing, truly unlimited Pro package, you’ll get the fastest broadband your line will possibly support at the great price you expect from TalkTalk."
The news follows confirmation last week that TalkTalk had raised the default speed on its Essentials package for all customers to a maximum of 'up to' 24Mbps at no extra cost (
here). The service had previously offered speeds of 'up to' 8Mbps.
TalkTalk's Essential package, available at just £6.99 a month + £11.49 monthly line rental, offers:
o Fast broadband up to 24Meg
o Generous 40GB download allowance
o UK Evening & Weekend calls
o FREE wireless ‘G’ router
o Free Magic Desktop - give your kids a head start with this fun, educational computer programme
o Free technical and customer support (from your TalkTalk line)
o 30-day no-quibble trial
o Unlimited calls to UK landlines, on evening and weekends (including 0845/0870)
o Free voicemail
o Free Calling Circle - Choose from 16 mobile and international numbers and get a discount of 10% on those calls
o Free Privacy Features