Posted: 23rd Nov, 2011 By: MarkJ

Rochdale-based ISP Zen Internet UK has today announced the official launch of its new 'up to'
100Mbps (30Mbps uploads) capable fibre optic (
Fibre-to-the-Premises [ FTTP ]) broadband internet access services. Details of the product, which will initially only be available to business customers or home workers with very deep pockets, were first leaked last week (
here).
Zen's Andrew Saunders, Head of Product Management and Marketing, said:
"Zen is the first ISP to be running the “up to 100Mbps” commercial trial in the four exchange areas of Bradwell Abbey (Milton Keynes), Highams Park, York and Chester South. We are already seeing download speeds that frequently exceed 90Mbps, more than 10 times the UK’s average broadband speed.
We acknowledge that these new services are at a premium when compared to other broadband products, however they provide a step change increase in access speed and like all of Zen’s services are supported by a highly robust and resilient network and award winning excellence in technical support and customer service.
Reliability and support are critical in business, where every second of downtime could mean lost work, lost custom and lost income. If something does go wrong, you need to know that you can get someone on the phone within minutes, and that this person will be equipped to deal with the problem at hand. Working with a good, reliable provider ensures that a business’s network is ready for the demands of today’s businesses."
In addition to the four exchanges mentioned above a further seven are in the early stages of having the service deployed. These are
Ilford,
Ashford (Middlesex),
Wembley,
St Austell,
Leytonstone,
Exeter and
Forest Hill.
We expect further third party ISPs to begin offering FTTP services over the next few months/years, although coverage of such products will be extremely limited for some time to come. Zen is typically one of the more expensive, but also more reliable, ISPs.
Home users who don't fancy waiting and whom are lucky enough to be covered could pick BT Retail, which launched the first consumer FTTP services (
BT-Infinity Option 3) earlier this week from just £35 per month.