Telecoms operator BT has issued an important status update on its £132 million project to make superfast broadband ISP services available to almost 90% of local businesses and homes across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly by 2014. Apparently the service is expected to be available at half of the areas telephone exchanges by the autumn of next year.

The first 50 customers - in Chiverton Cross and Chacewater - were connected to BT's service in March 2011 (here). Apparently Liskeard, Callington, Gunnislake and Launceston will be among the next 17 exchanges to be upgraded by the end of March 2012. Also included are St Austell, Bodmin, Truro, Falmouth, Penryn, Camborne and Redruth.

Crucially St Austell, which is due to be upgraded this summer, will benefit from being one of the first UK telephone exchanges to get BT's latest 100Mbps+ fibre optic Fibre-to-the-Premises ( FTTP ) solution. The bulk of BT's rollout will make use of its slower 'up to' 40Mbps Fibre-to-the-Cabinet ( FTTC ) service.


It's good to see that take-up of BT's new service is beginning to show some real fruit in Cornwall, although 700 out of over 15,000 premises passed is probably still lower than the operator would like. On the other hand, it's still early days.