BTOpenreach, which is responsible for ensuring that all rival ISPs have equality of access to BT's local UK network, has announced that 24 specially selected telephone exchanges will soon be able to offer a FREE connection to the operators new superfast 40Mbps capable FTTC broadband service.

The promotion, which runs from 7th October to 31st December 2011, will save new customers £80 +vat off the new one-off connection charge for BT's Fibre-to-the-Cabinet service. The move is apparently designed to stimulate uptake in certain areas.


BT has yet to reveal which telephone exchanges will benefit from the upgrade, which will apparently be "communicated in due course" via the Triallists Working Group (TWG). As a result it's difficult to know whether BT is doing this to boost uptake in areas of low demand (most likely) or solely to help support the latest exchange upgrades.

Unfortunately many ISPs frequently fail, sometimes deliberately, to pass such savings onto their customers. Similarly any offer that is isolated to only two dozen areas could be tedious for ISPs to promote and might cause confusion among consumers who don't benefit.

Separately BTOpenreach has also announced that ISPs will soon be able to take advantage of adding the FTTC and FTTP Transition Product, Simultaneous (SIM) Provide, on a newly ordered copper line without any additional connection cost. This offer will run for the same period as the above promotion.

Simultaneous Provide orders usually form part of a new telephone line order or allow you to move house without a break in either your broadband or phone service.