High Speed Broadband Could Reach 93 percent of the Population: BT

BT has told the UK government that more than 93 percent of the population could be served high-speed broadband connections through carrying out inexpensive augmentations to the existing network of the company. This was disclosed to the ministers, as BT has been continuing talks with Stephen Carter, the UK communications minister ahead of his final Digital Britain report that is due for next week.

BT has informed the ministers that it could raise the ADSL 2+ backed network coverage to an acceptable 93 percent through simple home wiring enhancement. Reports say that BT has also warned about the potential hazards of harming competition if relied on the five mobile broadband networks of the UK. It is also understood that BT has tipped the government that the services of the mobile networks would only be a makeshift measure.

According to the BT think-tank, fresh technologies could be engaged to upgrade existing phone cables. Another technique contrived by the company was the roll out of a second phone line to connect the homes. This procedure had shown bright results, such as achieving 2Mbps broadband speed over a phone line 17km long, in one of the tests carried out in the context. As a matter of fact, a 17km line is more than twice the distance where a dip of under 2Mbps speed was often experienced currently.

Carter had been looking to all possible entities that could help realise his dream of a UK broadband connection for all households in the UK. Alongside, the communications minister had also been expecting a great deal from the mobile broadband networks towards the bridging of the digital divide. However, quarelling networks had been constantly disappointing him by refusing to yield.