Posted: 19th Nov, 2010 By: MarkJ

Broadband ISP Eclipse Internet has submitted a list of
5 telephone exchanges that have been nominated by its customers for a fast-tracked 40-110Mbps "
fibre optic based" broadband upgrade. This is an almost identical survey to the one being carried out by BT Retail (
Race to Infinity), which is due to end in December.
Eclipse claims to have received over
7,000 votes in a week for its selection, which have now been passed on to
BTOpenreach. This could result in the related areas being included into BT's next
(7th) roll-out phase, which is due to be revealed in early 2011 with exchanges being upgraded for fibre in late-2011/early-2012.
Eclipse Internet's Top 5
1. Exeter Castle
2. Penzance
3. Exmouth
4. Haxby
5. Sutton Cross
However in return for this ability the associated ISPs will need to give a firm commercial commitment, thus preventing them from selecting exchanges with only a small number of customers. This could be a problem for some after PC Pro revealed that BT's own
Race to Infinity survey was potentially open to abuse.
BT's survey requests a
phone number,
post code,
name,
email address and
house name. However BT's system does not validate email addresses and only removes duplicate entries, which could allow the vote to be rigged by entering details for other people without their knowledge. It only takes a bit of
Google Maps and
Royal Mail website checking to find what is required.
UPDATE 12:40pmUK ISP Entanet was also asked by BT to submit several exchanges and we've just been told that these were as follows.
1. SHREWSBURY
2. REIGATE
3. SOUTH BRENT
4. WELLS (SOMERSET)
5. BRIDGNORTH