BT Fibre Optic Rollout Locations Disappoint: Virgin Media

The stage for another not so trivial battle of the broadband wars, seems to be getting set, as Virgin Media has drawn the first blood against its prime rival BT. Last day, Virgin Media claimed that all the BT’s twenty nine optic fibre line roll out locations were already covered by their optic fibre lines. They also went on to say that BT’s new fibre roll out is no way beneficial to the UK, as it was not going to improve Britain’s broadband speeds.

The statement of Virgin Media is quiet significant in the circumstances, considering that they patiently waited for BT to announce their first roll out locations to launch the scathing attack. BT had last day revealed twenty nine locations in the UK where it would initially rollout the optic fibre lines for superfast broadband delivery at up to 40Mbps. Out of this twenty nine locations, twenty seven are in urban areas that very much contradict the visions of Lord Stephen Carter and Ofcom.

Moreover, BT’s lack of enthusiasm in upgrading its aging copper wires, through which they today provide broadband to most parts of Britain, is also expected to come under scrutiny in the recent future. This fresh rollout announced last day by BT is expected to straddle over 500,000 businesses and homes by 2010. However, this announcement does not bode much in favour of an increase in the broadband speeds, although it definitely would provide some cut-throat competition for Virgin Media.

In reply to Virgin Media’s aggression, a BT spokesman reminded that this was only the first set of locations, as there were a lot more to come. Besides, another hot news waiting on its wings that BT was going to hike its broadband prices, presumably to fund its fibre optic cable augmentation, is also expected to be a hornet’s nest stirrer. Nevertheless, it is tough times ahead.