BT has plans to push out faster fibre-optic broadband connections to small businesses in key parts of the UK as the former state monopoly—which continues to feel the heat from Ofcom—attempts to flatten regulatory concerns by gingerly shifting its strategy.
The company's infrastructure division Openreach has been tasked with initially deploying fibre to the premises (FTTP) tech loaded with download speeds of up to 1Gbps to SMEs in London, Bath, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Salford, and Bradford. The project forms part of a larger plan to pump fibre, including BT's copper-based G.fast technology, to 12 million homes and businesses by 2020.
As of today, 300,000 properties across the UK have access to FTTP via Openreach's network.
Roughly 25 million homes and businesses in the country, meanwhile, rely on broadband services via fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) tech served by a fibre-optic connection from BT's backhaul network, via the local exchange, and then carried all the way to a streetside cabinet, where it is then delivered to the home via VDSL over a twisted pair of copper wires. Speeds can therefore vary depending on the location of the property in relation to the cabinet.
BT was recently ordered by UK communications watchdog Ofcom to open up its network to rival telcos. Under that preliminary decision, Openreach was told that it must give its competitors full access to BT's underground ducts and telegraph poles. Additionally, it will be required to operate its business at arm's length from the telecoms giant.
While BT continues to wrangle with Ofcom over the future of its business, the company has been making noises about investing more cash into fibre broadband. In May, BT revealed plans to deploy ultrafast FTTP broadband connections to two million homes and businesses in the UK over the next four years. However, rival Sky was quick to criticise BT's "limited ambition."
On Wednesday, Openreach's new boss Clive Selley said:
Hundreds of thousands of consumers will also benefit over the next few years as we continue our work to plug any remaining fibre broadband gaps. This targeted approach will help to deliver the ambition we share with government to improve broadband speeds in the final five per cent of the country.
BT plans to initially focus its fibre rollout on small businesses located in high streets and business parks. It added that over the next four year its G.fast tech is expected be deployed to around 10 million properties, with the remaining two million premises getting FTTP.
This story was updated after publication to clarify the breakdown of BT's planned rollout of FTTP and G.fast tech to a total of 12 million homes and businesses by 2020.
Listing image by Kelly Fiveash
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